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The Rhodesia Herald,  January 26, 1972

A housewife who gambled R$44 000 on horse racing and lost the lot in six months has found herself on a winner – a chance to begin a new life.

Mrs June Creek (38) admitted to nine charges involving obtaining $22 800 by deception.

She was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on each charge, to run concurrently, but the sentence was suspended for two years.

The judge, Mr Justice Lymbery, said there was more to be gained by allowing her freedom to repay her debts.

Her counsel told the court: “It is a warning of how frighteningly easy it is to lose vast sums by gambling without expert knowledge.”

Mr Gordon Creek told the court how his wife began her six-month flutter.

“My wife began to fear I was associating with other women and took all my money by simply asking me to sign cheques.”

That was not difficult, his wife kept the books for the building firm of which he was a partner.

“Because I trusted her I never questioned it.”

Mrs Creek’s gambling cost her husband R$21 000 and he was demoted to the employee level in the firm he once assisted to manage.

The rest of the stake money – R$23 300 – came from banks, friends, relatives, and anybody who believed her story that she was buying into development land and would make repayment from the proceeds.

Mr Creek said: “If only a single bookmaker had acted responsibly all this could have been prevented.”

Mrs Creek has a job as a secretary and intends saving R$5 a week to pay off her debts.

Lessons for today

• Gambling is a habit that requires a lot of discipline because it can easily transform into an addiction and result in serious consequences for the gambler and those close to them.
• One of the detrimental effects of gambling is financial ruin and debt.
• The woman in the story did not only spend her family’s money but also borrowed from those close to her and spent money belonging to her husband’s company resulting in him being demoted from the position of director.
• In some instance gambling can ruin marriages and relationships.