A CANBERRA mother has denied she stole more than $500,000 of her children's inheritance and lost most of it playing the pokies.
Katherine Hawcroft, of Latham in Canberra's north, faced the ACT Supreme Court today charged with 229 counts of theft from her three children and two nieces.
The court heard that Hawcroft had been entrusted to manage an investment property in the children's name until the youngest one turned 25 in 2011.
But she allegedly secretly sold the property, previously owned by her late parents, in 2000 and spent the proceeds.
Police allege she spent a majority of the money, $523,000, playing pokies at two Canberra clubs between November 2000 and April 2003.
Choking back tears, Hawcroft pleaded not guilty to each of the 229 counts of theft read out individually in court.
Source: Daily Telegraph
