Employee jailed for stealing $200,000
A FORMER credit controller at The Cairns Post will spend 15 months in jail after admitting to defrauding her employer of more than $200,000.
In Cairns District Court yesterday, Kellie Jane Owens, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud to the value of $226,568.
The offences were carried out while Owens was employed by the company between May 2005 and April 2007.
The offences included diverting $113,000, paid by Forde Recruitment for advertising, into her accounts.
A similar amount of money paid to the company by other advertisers also was diverted into her accounts. The offence was detected when Owens went on maternity leave in 2007 and another credit controller ignored her instructions not to call Forde about an outstanding account.
The illegal transactions were revealed following an audit by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.
Defence counsel Jim Henry SC said his client had battled depression and gone through a difficult pregnancy during the time of the offences.
He said Owens’ family was under financial stress as her husband had periods of unemployment.
While Owens was unable to repay the money, Mr Henry said The Cairns Post had received $31,878 from Owens’ bankruptcy.
Judge Sarah Bradley said Owens’ actions were "a serious example of fraud".
"Your offending involved a theft that was predicated and calculated," Justice Bradley told the defendant.
She imposed a four-year prison sentence, to be suspended after 15 months.
Justice Bradley ordered that Owens’ four-month-old daughter be allowed to live with her.
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