Five years jail for stealing more than $100,000 from woman

Lisa Mellisa Sedeno of Darry Lane, Mc Bean, Couva, wept after the magistrate passed the sentence.

Sedeno pleaded guilty to 49 counts of withdrawing a total of $107,062 from the joint bank account of Shirley Salima Khan, 80, and her daughter Salima Khan-Sirju, 47. Prosecutor Cleydon Seedan told the court that on different dates between October last year and May, Sedeno used the woman’s ATM card without permission and withdrew the money.

A report was made to the Fraud Squad in San Fernando and on Thursday police led Snr. Supt Totaram Dookie along with ASP Ghisiyawan, Cpls Badree and Gopaul and Ag. Cpl Seemungal went to a house at Bryan’s Gate, Phillipine, on the outskirts of San Fernando. Sedeno was arrested and admitted to withdrawing the money.

She was charged by acting Cpl Seemungal.

Sedeno’s attorney Cedric Neptune said his client was employed by the woman in April last year. Prior to that, she had other “patients”.

Neptune admitted his client breached the woman’s trust. He said Sedeno, who is married to a Jamaican, expressed remorse and never denied culpability. She co-operated with police.

The attorney added that Sedeno offered no “plausible explanation” for her actions and used the money for different things such as food and clothing. Sedeno was also represented by attorney Chantal Paul.

Antoine, in passing sentence, remarked that Sedeno gained the trust of the woman. She said the court took into consideration that Sedeno had neither previous convictions nor pending matters and that she pleaded guilty to the charges. The only way to serve justice, Antoine said, was to impose a custodial sentence.