Sydney, Australia - A 95-year old man from Australia lost his life savings that amounted to AU$6,250 (or £3,400/$4,300) to three gamblers.
According to reports, the accused spotted the victim holding the money at The Star Sydney casino. They then trailed him home before pushing him onto a milk crate and robbing him of his money. The report further detailed that one of the accused, named Amandeep Singh, was unrepentant when confronted of the crime, even saying, “Yeah, that’s why we gave him back $100 so he can eat.”
Before the incident, the three gamblers had been at The Star casino, where they had already lost a lot of money. It was then that they saw the 95-year-old taking the money out of his pocket and plotted to commit the crime.
Pertinent documents indicated that: “The offenders followed the victim on the light rail to Central railway station, on the train to Strathfield station, on another train to Concord West station, and then on foot to the victim’s residence.
“Once inside his home, the three gamblers proceeded to knock on his front door. Upon answering he was knocked out of the way and pushed onto a milk crate inside. One of his assailants covered his mouth while a second went through his pockets to retrieve the money. Before leaving they left him AU$100 (£55; $69.60).They then went back to the casino to gamble and lost all of the stolen money.”
Singh had already squandered the money his father had sent him from India, which was intended for his tuition fees. In total, it’s reported that he gambled away almost AU$50,000 (or £27,570/$34,800) of his parents’ retirement fund.
Focusing on his gambling problems, Judge Siobhan Herbert, exclaimed: “He gambled between $1,000 and $5,000 per day and went to the Crown casino in Melbourne even when he had no money.”
As a result of his actions, Singh’s maximum term is four years and six months in prison.
Although gambling can be an enjoyable pastime for many, for others, it can be an experience that quickly spirals out of control. Last month it was reported that a 23-year-old Japanese man had stolen AU$140,000 (or £75,400/$96,300) from his boss before losing it all in four hours at the Crown Casino in Melbourne.
In other cases, the need to gamble is so intense that bettors are willing to leave their young children inside their cars – often locked and by themselves — while they go about their business at a casino. This was the case of a 29-year-old who is facing criminal prosecution after leaving his 76-year-old grandmother, who has dementia, locked in a vehicle for 16 hours to gamble at a casino.
