Manager convicted of defrauding bank

A 54-year-old Alexandra bank manager has been convicted of defrauding Westpac of more than $400,000 over a 20-year period.

Heather Scott pleaded guilty to 33 charges, including 21 of dishonestly using a document, 11 of forgery, and one of theft, when she appeared in the Invercargill District Court yesterday.

The court was told Scott's offending began in 1989 when she opened a credit card account under her husband's name without his knowledge, the Southland Times reported.

An internal investigation revealed Scott targeted the accounts of close friends and family, opening loans against these accounts without the account holders' knowledge.

When her offending was discovered, it had reached a total of $463,498.80.

Scott admitted taking the money and said she had intended to pay it back but had become deeper and deeper in debt.

She was remanded in custody to appear for sentence on September 24.

- NZPA