Her husband was sending her money from prison, encouraging her to spend it or transfer it to others. Rotorua nurse Linda Olive Aldworth did – and the courts found she laundered almost $340,000 from Mohamed Atta over a year and a half. The Rotorua woman told a disciplinary tribunal she was “living in a make-believe world”, not thinking about where that cash came from. After her 2016 conviction, the Crown seized and sold her house, and she has now been barred from a return to nursing. Until then, her almost 40-year career had been unblemished, a recently-released New Zealand Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal decision said. However, the offending was “so serious and sustained” that she couldn’t remain registered. “Her misconduct goes to the heart of the practitioner’s integrity,” a decision said. Almost $342,000 from “unidentified sources” went into accounts Aldworth operated – including two in the names of her grandchildren – between January 2013 and October 2014. That was almost $3622 a week “over and above her legitimate income”, according to court documents. She once transferred $12,669 to one of Atta’s family members in Egypt, and also bought herself “items including a motor vehicle, a spa pool and a lounge suite”. Atta, it transpired, was the New Zealand ringleader of a methamphetamine ring uncovered by an 18-month investigation. Aldworth served ten-and-a-half months on home detention, had completed courses, and wanted to return to nursing, the tribunal heard. She apologised for her offences. Aldworth’s nursing registration was cancelled and she was formally censured. She now works in a hotel kitchen, boards with her daughter and grandchildren, and has no material assets, the decision said.
September 19, 2018
St Joan of Arc Villa has a s.739 (Application to deal with a dispute) which it will defend before Commissioner Johns in his Melbourne chambers at 4pm (Donovan).
September 19, 2018
The Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia has a s.365 (Application to deal with contraventions involving dismissal) matter on the desk of Commissioner Hunt in his Brisbane chambers (Lee-Curtis).
September 19, 2018
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians and Komesaroff are jointly facing a s.372 (Application to deal with other contravention disputes) before Fair Work Vice President Catanzariti in his Sydney chambers (Smith).
September 19, 2018
Durri Aboriginal Corporation Medical Service will answer a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) before Commissioner Saunders in Macksville Court House River Street Macksville today (Skinner).
September 19, 2018
A mother-of-four will spend the next eight months in jail after pleading guilty to stealing benefits from Centrelink. Over a five-year period from September 2009, Elizabeth Ann Stewart stole $114,000 worth of government benefits to which she was not entitled. The aged-care nurse pleaded guilty to four counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception at Maroochydore District Court on Tuesday.
September 19, 2018
Community Accommodation & Respite Agency Inc has a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) which it must defend before Fair Work Commissioner Hampton in his Adelaide chambers (Noble).
September 18, 2018
Melbourne Health has a s.372 (Application to deal with other contravention disputes) with which it must contend in front of Commissioner Harper-Greenwell in Court 5 & Conference Room D – Level 6 in Melbourne (Pollock).
