A woman from Sydney faced court last week after being accused of neglecting the needs of her elderly parents and using their money to fund her lifestyle of gambling, drinking and holidays.
Despite facing dozens of charges, Renee Prendergast denies stealing large sums of money from her ailing parents’ bank accounts after they moved into her West Sydney home in 2018.
At the time, the elderly couple’s bank account held over $500,000.
According to New South Wales Police, Ms Prendergrast spent $250,000 of their money in only four weeks after being granted power of attorney.
During police interrogation, Ms Prendergast was confronted with the accusation that the financial abuse began the moment she was given authority over their accounts.
Security footage shown on 7News shows Ms Prendergast allegedly using her parents’ money to purchase alcohol and play the pokie machines at Wests Campbelltown and the Ruse Tavern.
However, Ms Prendergast denied having a gambling addiction during her police interview.
According to Prendergast, she and her mother frequently assisted each other financially, citing an instance where her mother purportedly authorised a $100,000 transfer for the installation of a new pool.
However, officers rebuffed her explanation, claiming that these types of transactions were self-serving.
Court proceedings detailed instances where Prendergast’s parents allegedly endured neglect, being left without medication, without food and unwashed while she squandered their savings.
One officer recounted witnessing distressing scenes, describing how the elderly couple remained soaked in their own urine to the extent that it seeped through bedding into their mattresses.
Following a welfare check conducted by authorities while Prendergast was away on holiday, her parents’ bank account was subsequently frozen.
Prendergast is slated to appear in court again in the ensuing weeks.
