A police officer tasked with helping a vulnerable pensioner who had $14,000 stolen from her bank cards went on to steal a further $68,000 from her. In offending described as “extraordinary”, the Waikato officer, who was on duty and in police uniform at the time, had the woman drive to her local bank branch to make cash withdrawals as he followed her in a patrol car and waited in the carpark. It was two months before the victim, in her 70s, discovered what he’d done and reported him to her bank. The bank reported it to police. The same officer, who would later reveal he’d been gambling online since he was 18, then went back to her house twice. The frightened woman was too scared to open the door and cowered and hid. The now former officer recently appeared for sentencing in the Hamilton District Court on representative charges of accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose and obtaining by deception. While he avoided a jail term, he lost a bid for permanent name suppression. However, he was given a week to lodge an appeal, which the High Court at Hamilton has since confirmed has been filed. That meant he could not be identified, nor could certain facts surrounding the case. The victim also has suppression. The case was deemed so unusual that at the man’s sentencing, Crown solicitor Jacinda Hamilton said she, fortunately, couldn’t find any other case as serious as his. The man was serving as a police officer in Waikato at the time of the offending. Photo / File Meanwhile, the victim, through her stepdaughter, told Judge Stephen Clark how the former officer’s offending had a “profound effect” on the woman and she’d lost trust in the police. Waikato police Superintendent Scott Gemmell told NZME he was “extremely disappointed” in the man’s actions. Within 24 hours of being alerted, police had launched a criminal investigation, laid charges and had the former officer in court. “The public deserves to have trust in us,” he said. Victim told to contact police In July last year, the then-officer was stationed in a small Waikato town as its community liaison officer. He focused on crime prevention and connecting people in need with appropriate support services. The officer was often assigned matters involving vulnerable victims, including the elderly. The woman was considered vulnerable at the time of the offending. The victim lived alone and was vulnerable not just because of her age and isolation, but because of ongoing medical and mental health issues. On July 24, the victim visited her local ANZ branch to report suspicious bank account activity, claiming people had stolen her bank cards. A staff member discovered there had been a $4000 withdrawal, and Prezzy cards totalling $10,059.50 had been bought at Pak’nSave Highland Park in Auckland. The victim was distraught and the staff member advised her to contact the police. Officer claimed his dog needed surgery The officer was designated the woman’s file on August 19 and received the relevant CCTV footage from an Auckland ATM and the Pak’nSave. His supervisor suggested he visit the victim for a “prevention and reassurance visit”. He went to her house the same day and learned she had CCTV footage of her home. The pair reviewed the footage but were unable to identify those who stole her cards. The officer said he’d return to review the footage more thoroughly and asked the victim for copies of her bank statements to help in his inquiry. He visited on several occasions, and at least once, was accompanied by a colleague who found the victim to be easily confused, had a poor memory and struggled to articulate her thoughts. During a visit on August 21, the officer discovered she had money in her other accounts and told her that his dog was unwell and required surgery. But that was a lie. However, the victim agreed to help him and drove to her ANZ branch to withdraw $8000 while the officer followed in his patrol car. She then handed him the cash as he sat in the police car. T...