NEW ZEALAND: Man took $60,000 of his partner's mother's cash

WANGANUI, New Zealand(The Dominion Post), August 16, 2008: By Kelly Burns A lot of men may not get on with their future mother-in-law, but Anthony Michael Price stole more than $60,000 from the ailing mother of his partner. He was jailed for eight months yesterday but his partner, Lisa Rodgers, is standing by her thieving man. Price, a stay-at-home father, got hold of the elderly woman's cash machine card and withdrew the maximum daily amount 76 times, gambling the money away. He said he wanted to hit the jackpot and win $500,000 to take the family to Australia. But Judge Michael Radford said greed seemed the likely motive. And instead of amassing his fortune, Price, 48, lost $60,800. Price admitted fraud charges and appeared in Wanganui District Court yesterday for sentencing. The court was told his partner had access to her mother's cash card to shop for her because she was unwell and in a rest home. Between February and May, he took the card to a cash machine and withdrew $800 each time. His lawyer, Mark Bullock, said Price was feeding his gambling addiction. But Judge Radford said the crime was planned. Given the number of withdrawals, the vulnerability of the victim and the gross breach of trust, jail was the only option, he said.