A young Melbourne estate agent has been sentenced to three months in prison after stealing $100,000 from an elderly woman under her care. Hayley Philpot, 29, abused her position as the victim’s power of attorney, using the funds to finance shopping sprees and cover a debt owed to a bikie gang on behalf of her brother.
Philpot, who was employed by Savoy Real Estate in Yarra Glen, first became involved with the 80-year-old victim in 2019 when she helped the woman sell her home. She also assisted in relocating the victim and her husband, who suffers from dementia, into a nursing home. It was during this time that Philpot was given legal control over the elderly woman’s finances—a position she would later exploit.
Over a period of 15 months, between May 2020 and August 2021, Philpot funnelled nearly $100,000 from her victim’s bank account through a series of 98 fraudulent transactions. She spent the stolen money on a variety of personal expenses, including luxury goods from high-end fashion stores, electronics, car repairs, and even meals from delivery services such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo. Records showed she had also transferred $50,000 directly into another account in her own name.
The theft came to light when the elderly woman, noticing her dwindling funds, hired a lawyer to investigate. This led to Philpot’s arrest in February 2022. Despite her initial refusal to admit any wrongdoing, Philpot eventually pleaded guilty to charges of theft and dishonest use of a power of attorney.
The court heard that a significant portion of the stolen money—around $40,000—had been used to help pay off a debt her brother owed to a bikie gang. However, this was deemed by the prosecution to be no excuse for such a serious breach of trust, especially given the vulnerable state of the victim, who was not only elderly but also the primary carer for her husband.
Judge Pradeep Tiwana, who presided over the earlier hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, described Philpot’s actions as an “appalling breach of trust”. He noted the particular cruelty of targeting an elderly woman who had no immediate family support and was facing considerable financial and emotional strain while caring for her husband.
“This offence strikes at the heart of trust,” Judge Tiwana said. “The victim was in the twilight of her life, and the funds were sorely needed to support both her and her husband.”
Despite her pregnancy at the time of sentencing, Philpot’s appeal to avoid jail time was unsuccessful. Judge Tiwana made it clear that such egregious behaviour, particularly involving a vulnerable elderly person, demanded imprisonment.
