The controversial former reality TV star and WAG says he feels “devastated, defeated and helpless” after receiving numerous threats while in prison for stealing $34,000. Told.
Arabella Del Busso appeared on the verge of tears as she appeared via audiovisual link in Australia’s New South Wales District Court on Wednesday wearing a green prison-issue T-shirt and shorts.
She has been in jail for more than two months after being convicted of two counts of theft as an employee.
She was working as a receptionist at Rheumatologist Care clinics in Kogarah and Randwick, Australia, when she hatched a plan to steal tens of thousands of dollars.
The court heard that between September 2019 and February 2020, she made more than $34,000 in profits by instructing customers to pay with cash rather than card.
The ex-girlfriend of former National Rugby League star Josh Reynolds was sentenced to up to 20 months in prison in February for an “appalling breach of trust”.
But on Wednesday, Judge John Pickering reduced her prison sentence to just five months after the lingerie model launched an appeal in the New South Wales District Court.
He considered the fraudster’s mental health and lack of criminal history and determined she was unlikely to reoffend.
The court heard she had been in protective custody for two months, which she described as a “pretty bad experience” with multiple threats.
The former reality TV star said in an affidavit to the court that he had been targeted by other inmates.
“Every day I feel so anxious and scared about how I’m going to get through the day,” she wrote.
The court heard Del Busso had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression after stealing from her employer, but Judge Pickering ruled that was not the cause of her crimes.
He accepted Del Busso into custody due to concerns about her mental and physical health, but noted that she is a boxer and may have been expected to do better than other inmates.
“I know, as I think the appellant did too, that every day in prison is hard. But she put herself in that position,” he said.
Ms del Busso’s lawyer, Jehane Gabrial, argued that her client had also received additional punishment as a result of media coverage of her theft, calling it “cruel to say the least.” ” was characterized as.
She said the media had “examined[Del Busso’s]private life” and “unearthed” past embarrassments that exposed the model to “further humiliation and slander.”
A previous article stated that Del Busso publicly admitted on the reality show that she had faked a miscarriage while dating Reynolds.
“Just because someone applies to be on a TV show doesn’t mean we’re encouraging everyone to tear up every aspect of their lives,” Gabrial said.
But Judge Pickering noted that Del Busso had actively sought media attention following his high-profile breakup with former NRL star Josh Reynolds.
“But she’s pursued it too because she’s genuine about it,” he said.
“She appeared on reality shows and appeared on national television…No one forced her to appear on SAS (Australia).”
The judge noted that SAS Australia appeared to be full of “people like her” who “have had problems in the criminal courts”.
He highlighted the public attention to the case of Bruce Lehman, who has consistently denied sexually assaulting Brittany Higgins, as an indication that the increased scrutiny warranted.
“The reality is that these are fraudulent acts, and there are aspects of (Del Busso’s) criminal history that involve fraud, and in some respects they are relevant,” Judge Pickering said.
The court heard on multiple occasions that the model told customers the medical center’s card machine was out of order and asked them to pay with cash instead.
“Unfortunately, our EFTPOS equipment is down, so today we will have a cash transaction of $170.” [$111.96 USD] We apologize for the inconvenience,” she said in a text message sent to 18 patients.
Del Busso extorted $23,356.51 from the medical center’s Kogarah facility and $10,811.81 from its Randwick office over a five-month period before administrators discovered financial discrepancies.
According to court documents, the lingerie model had $11,888.75 deposited into her personal account.
Judge Pickering condemned her “brazen methods” of stealing money and “a very basic form of fraud that could easily be detected over time”.
He determined there was “little doubt” that she stole the $34,000 “purely for her own financial gain.”
“There is no excuse for simply stealing money from small businesses, regardless of who’s financial situation,” he said.
The court heard the model borrowed money to repay funds embezzled from her former employer.
She is scheduled to be released without parole in July.
The court heard she was likely to return to Victoria to live with her boyfriend and pursue a boxing career.
