According to court documents it was a Napier woman's birthday, but it was also the day to come clean and finally plead guilty to charges relating to a car-buying scam involving more than $20,000.
That was the state of play for Shontei Marie Robin, now 24, when she appeared inNapier District Court on Wednesday, facing two charges of obtaining by deception, and three of failing to answer bail, by not fronting up in court to answer the charges.
Remanding her for sentencing on February 23, Judge Geoff Rea allowed bail but warned if she didn't meet the conditions she'd be arrested and held in custody until the next appearance.
A police summary said Robin twice last May and June responded to Trade Me car sales listings, inspected the vehicles and bought them using fraudulent evidence of internet banking transactions.
But vendors never received the money. One of the cars, a black Audi on the market at $10,000, has not been recovered, and the other, a white BMW hatchback which was for sale at $13,000, was ultimately returned to the vendor in a damaged condition.
She later made "full admissions" to police and said she had made the first arrangement knowing it was "wrong" but did it anyway because she needed a way to "get out of Wellington". She gave no explanation for the second offence.
