Heartless aged care nurse who stole $142,000 from her ex-boyfriend and used the cash on clothes, a car and a wedding with her NEW lover avoids jail

An aged care nurse who stole $142,000 from her ex-partner and used the cash to fund her wedding to her new lover has narrowly avoided jail time for the brazen theft. 

Melbourne woman Marie Heeraman, 52, robbed her former partner Michael Peirce of $142,000 of his mother's inheritance between 2014 and 2016. 

Heeraman was sentenced to a two-year community correction order at the County Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to a course of conduct theft charge. She must complete 350 hours of community work.   

The two met in the mid 2000s when Heeraman looked after her victim's elderly parents. 

Marie Heeraman has narrowly avoided a prison sentence after stealing more than $140,000 from her former partner

They later formed a relationship, with Heeraman claiming to be his best friend.

Peirce largely relied on Centrelink income before he received an inheritance of $234,000 from his mother. 

Two years later, he wanted Heeraman to help him reduce his spending and to prevent his family from accessing his money, so they opened an account in her name and deposited $198,000 into it. 

Heerman was meant to help Peirce manage his money by paying his expenses and giving him limited amounts of cash. 

She soon transferred most of the funds into a separate bank account in her name without Peirce's knowledge. 

Between October 2014 and August 2016, Heeraman spent her victim's inheritance on bridal wear, alcohol, groceries, homewares, clothing, beauty and cash withdrawals in 808 transactions.

Their relationship ended and Heeraman married her new partner in 2016.

Much of the money was put towards her wedding including $10,057 on bridal wear and clothing, $4115 on music and event management and $6055 on hair and beauty. 

Marie Heeraman told her former lover to use income from Centrelink to pay his bills as she covered up her theft

She also purchased a new $27,000 Peugeot car with her victim's money. 

Heeraman told Peirce he could count on her and she was 'truly helping' him spend his money wisely. 

She made attempts to cover up her theft, telling her victim to use his Centrelink income to pay his bills and encouraging him to get a job. 

'Just know that I love you & care about you v much & I will always be there for you, even when nobody else seems to care,' she wrote in a text message to Peirce three months after marrying her new partner.  

'You'll always be my dearest friend & yes, for life. You can count on me.'

'I am truly helping you to spend yr $ wisely & to save & one day you'll thank me for this,' read another message from 2016. 

Her plan was foiled when Peirce unsuccessfully tried to gain access to the money from the original account and discovered most of it was gone. 

County Court Judge Sarah Dawes said Heeraman's betrayal of trust was significant.

In his victim statement, Peirce said Heeraman has left him with 'constant tension', mental stress, depression, severe insomnia and he was now 'socially withdrawn'.

He said she had left him feeling like he couldn't trust anyone new in his life.  

Heeraman was sentenced to a two-year community correction order after she pleaded guilty to a course of conduct theft charge

Heeraman had since borrowed more than $130,000 from her brother, who took out a loan to help her pay back everything she owes. 

Judge Dawes told Heeraman she avoided jail by the narrowest of margins.