A Queensland nurse has been charged with fraud and theft after allegedly using a hospital patient’s bank card to treat herself to a spending spree.
Melelani Crelley, 42, is said to have racked up a $7,000 bill while shopping on the Gold Coast while the elderly woman who owned the card was in Robina Hospital and later Gold Coast University Hospital battling a serious illness.
Daren Kirby, the Mackay woman’s son, noticed dozens of transactions had been invoiced at supermarkets, cafes and bakeries while his mother was in bed in April and May this year and did some digging.
Mr. Kirby found one transaction for a hair salon in Varsity Lakes and called police, the report said. The Gold Coast Bulletin.
Detectives discovered that the salon customer used a second card to pay part of the bill after the charges exceeded the ATM limit on the first card.
Officers raided Crelley’s Varsity Lakes home on Thursday, where they reportedly found the elderly woman’s purse and bank card.
Mr Kirby said he was “unbelievable” when he first looked at his mother’s bank statement.
“That’s when I decided to try to get to the heart of the matter. I was like a dog with a bone and I didn’t want to let it go because I just can’t stand thieves,” he said.
Melelani Crelley, 42, allegedly collected a $7,000 bill on a debit card she stole from a patient while they were in the hospital
The elderly woman was a patient at Robina Hospital and later at Gold Coast University Hospital
Crelley has been charged with one count of theft and one count of fraud.
Mr Kirby’s mother has since recovered from encephalitis, a condition that causes swelling of the brain and can be life-threatening, and has been discharged from hospital.
On August 9, Crelley was released on bail to appear in court.
Ten years ago she moved from Sydney to the Gold Coast, where she graduated as a nurse.
It is unclear whether she has been suspended pending her court appearance.
The police investigation is still ongoing.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Queensland Health for comment.
