Fraudster sold cellphone for $500 and never sent it

A convicted fraudster who was sent to jail earlier this year was back in court facing similar charges on Thursday.

Marni Ellen Erickson, 23, appeared before Judge Chris Sygrove in the New Plymouth District Court, where she pleaded guilty to one charge of obtaining by deception.

Police prosecutor Detective Sergeant Dave McKenzie said on December 3, Erickson responded to a post by her victim, who was wanting to buy a Samsung S6 cellphone, on TradeMe.

He said Erickson contacted the victim privately stating she had one of the phones for sale cheaper.

‘‘They negotiated the sale of a phone with the victim paying $500 into the defendant’s account on the third of December.’’

The victim didn’t get a tracking number and the phone never arrived and messages left on the defendant’s telephone were not replied to.

Erickson told police she spent the money, then panicked and had no intention of giving her victim the phone.

Defence lawyer Patrick Mooney said Erickson had received a short term of imprisonment in February for similar offending. Mooney said as the charge related to offending carried out before his client was jailed she would have only received a concurrent sentence if the charge had been laid at the same time.

‘‘It would wrapped up.’’

He said it was appropriate a reparation order was made but sought a sentence where Erickson would come up if called upon.

Sygrove disagreed, believing Erickson should receive a further penalty he sentenced her to 60 hours community work and ordered her to pay reparation of $500 at $10 per week. have been all