AN 18-year-old girl, who unlawfully used a debit card to make online purchases, was spared imprisonment and financial penalties after the male complainant chose mediation to give her a chance to redeem herself.

Natasha Williams appeared in the St James Parish Court before presiding judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton last Wednesday, charged with 13 counts of simple larceny and breaches of the Cyber Crime Act.

The prosecution alleged that sometime in June 2024, the defendant used a bank card belonging to the complainant, which was in the possession of his daughter, to conduct online transactions amounting to $35,586.16.

These transactions were observed on the defendant’s phone by the complainant’s daughter on an occasion when she borrowed the phone for a specific purpose.

As a result, a report was made to the Area One Fraud Squad, and the teen was arrested and charged.

Under caution, Williams reportedly said to the police, “On the 27th of June, 2024, I purchase some things and used three different debit cards to pay. One of the debit cards was the card I saw the daughter [name withheld] with, but I didn’t know it was for her father.

“I bought some stuff, but I cannot remember all that I bought using that card. I tried to cancel it out when I found out whose card it was.”

The court was told that the complainant’s daughter and the defendant work together and have been friends.

When Williams was granted the opportunity to address the court, she stated that the complainant’s daughter gave her the card to use.

The complainant, who was in attendance at the court hearing, expressed a willingness to provide the defendant with a chance for rehabilitation considering her youth, and opted to pursue mediation. Additionally, a relative of the defendant in attendance also agreed to engage in mediation in order to facilitate restitution.

The proceedings were temporarily suspended in order to allow for a mediation session between the parties involved, which was facilitated by a mediator present in court.

When the case was revisited, in was revealed in court that the parties reached a mutually agreeable resolution, and the defendant’s relative handed over $45,000 to the complainant.

The prosecution subsequently offered no evidence against Williams.

“This is an offence for which I can send you to prison for up to three years, but I hope you learn your lesson. I am warning you, young lady, that you can’t use or take other people’s money. It’s stealing, it’s a crime, and persons who commit crime are called criminals.

“I am warning you, don’t let me see you before me again,” the judge said before allowing her to leave the courtroom.