IT’S the nightmare almost every petty crook in Wagga fears – seeing a surveillance camera image of themselves on the Police Force Facebook page.
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That’s what happened to Wagga woman Casey Jayne Walker.
She was videoed in several Wagga shops using a stolen credit card to buy goods and police posted a still image from one of the shops on their Facebook page.
Altogether on April 9, 33-year-old Walker bought $809.90 worth of taxi rides, alcohol, movie tickets and other products.
Walker didn’t have to sign for the goods and services. Because she kept her purchases under $100 she was able to use “pay pass” which allows purchases without identification.
When Walker was arrested later in the month, she asked police to take down the Facebook post, saying she felt embarrassed by it.
More than 15,100 people “like” the Wagga police Facebook page, and police regularly post images of people wanted on arrest warrants or caught on camera committing crimes.
The credit card was among a number of items stolen during a residential break-in on April 5 while the occupant was out of Wagga.
On April 9, the victim’s bank contacted her to report an unusually high level of activity on her credit card starting at 5.15am that day.
She asked a neighbour to check on her house and received the bad news that her home had been broken into.
Police obtained CCTV footage from the shops where the card was used as part of their investigation.
On April 22, police executed a search warrant on Walker’s Kooringal home and found a camera, cordless telephone and men’s Ripcurl brand watch also stolen in the April 5 raid.
Walker pleaded guilty to having goods suspected of being stolen, receiving property (the credit card) and dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
Her solicitor, David Barron, told magistrate Erin Kennedy in Wagga Local Court on Monday his client had learnt a real lesson and the Facebook post had been a “real impact on her life.” He said she was taking steps, including counselling to “make sure she is not in this position again”.
Ms Kennedy said Walker had gone on “a bit of a spending spree” with the credit card. She told Walker not to underestimate the effect on people of having their home broken into and their credit card used dishonestly.
Walker was placed on two 12-month good behaviour bonds and fined $200.
