Former Nurse Sentenced to Probation for Stealing Bank Card from Hospital Patient

A former Gold Coast nurse has been sentenced to 12 months’ probation after admitting she stole a patient’s bank card and used it to pay for a hair appointment. Southport Magistrates Court heard that Melelani Crelley’s victim was a 78‑year‑old woman who lay in an induced coma in the intensive care unit at Robina Hospital, where Crelley worked at the time.

The woman’s purse had been kept in a locked box beside her bed, accessible only to staff with a key. When the patient regained consciousness on May 31 last year, she discovered the purse was missing.

Crelley later told police she had found the purse at the front of the hospital and intended to hand it in. Instead, she used the victim’s bank card to pay for a hair appointment in Varsity Lakes on April 27, 2024. The victim’s son noticed the transaction and reported it to police. Crelley was arrested on July 18, 2024.

In court, Crelley remained silent and wiped away tears as Magistrate Jane Bentley addressed her. Her lawyer, Sinead Campbell, said Crelley lost her job immediately after the arrest and was deeply remorseful.

“She realised that her actions represented a significant breach of trust, not only to her employer but also to her colleagues and the community,” Campbell said.

Magistrate Bentley described the theft as a serious breach of trust but noted there was no evidence Crelley had taken the purse directly from the locker beside the comatose patient.

Crelley will serve her sentence under probation and avoided jail time.