Albany magistrate gives dressing down to woman who stole more than $20,000 from elderly mother

A 59-year-old woman has been given a dressing down by an Albany Magistrate for stealing more than $20,000 from her mother’s bank account. Magistrate Raelene Johnston told Debra Gillian Kentish she had committed a “very serious breach of trust” by using her access to the account to draw thousands of dollars over two months last year. “You had access to the money and took advantage of that,” she said. Kentish and her sister were given control of their mother’s estate in 2007. Police prosecutor Alan Dean told Albany Magistrate’s Court last Thursday that Kentish had withdrawn cash and filled in details of cheques signed by her mother to buy food, clothing and tobacco. But her sister became aware of the thefts, leading police to conduct an investigation into her bank accounts. Examining bank details from January 1 to May 31 last year, police estimated Kentish had stolen $20,600 from accounts she had access to. During the hearing, she entered a guilty plea to a single stealing charge. The 59-year-old offered Ms Johnston no explanation for her crime. A pre-sentence report was ordered for Kentish ahead of her next hearing on July 16. “A term of imprisonment is open to the court,” Sgt Dean told Ms Johnston.