A Shepparton woman who was using ice when she stole $137,000 from her employer, a local building company, has been jailed for six months.
Michelle Twomey, 51, pleaded guilty to a rolled up charge of obtaining financial advantage by deception and a summary charge of committing an indictable offence while on bail.
Judge Anne Hassan described Twomey’s offending as “increasingly brazen” and a serious breach of trust, during her sentencing at Shepparton County Court on January 18.
Twomey became distressed in the court room when she heard she would be going to jail, collapsing from her chair at the bar table on to the floor.
She was assisted by police and court staff before being taken to hospital, and Judge Hassan deferred the rest of the sentencing until Twomey returned in the afternoon.
The court heard Twomey was employed by Cavalier Homes Goulburn Valley as an accounts payable administrator in July 2020, and over 12 months created 29 false invoices paid into her personal bank account.
The majority of invoices were for a couple of thousand dollars except for one of more than $41,000 on September 28, 2021.
Judge Hassan found Twomey only stopped offending when she was detected by a colleague, who discovered something amiss with the company’s bank reconciliation in November 2021.
The court heard Twomey had been released on bail in January 2021 by the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court for similar offending totalling $20,000.
Judge Hassan referred to a report from a psychologist who considered Twomey showed symptoms of depression and PTSD, and used methamphetamine as a form of self-medication.
The psychologist found Twomey’s significant drug use impacted on her thinking during the offending and that she was a low risk of reoffending.
Judge Hassan found Twomey spent some of the money clearing debts, but also on living expenses and a car for her daughter.
She accepted Twomey was remorseful and ashamed, had pleaded guilty early and that custody would be more difficult for her due to her mental health.
Twomey was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work on her release from jail as part of a two-year community corrections order.
Up to 100 of those hours can be credited through participation in treatment or programs to address mental health and drug use or dependency.