Crown alleges woman made false claims in statement to court
The Crown opposed continued bail for a woman when her sentencing on thefts totalling $472,000 was delayed for a week, alleging she had “made false claims” in her financial statement for the court.
Crown prosecutor Clare Boshier told Judge Brian Callaghan that after the woman pleaded guilty in July, the sentencing had been delayed for four months to allow her to sell her house to pay some money towards reparations.
She said the house had not been sold and was no longer listed for sale. “The statement from the real estate agent sets out why it didn’t sell, with the defendant rejecting four offers made to her and her partner.”
She said no reparation was now being offered by the 41-year-old woman – who has name suppression – for her 10 offences of theft by a person in a special relationship from Perpetual Trust Ltd and from accounts, trusts, and estates it administered.
When she pleaded guilty, defence counsel Pip Hall QC placed reports from a psychotherapist and a psychiatrist before the court. He said there were concerns about her wellbeing.
Name suppression was granted until sentencing, when it will be fully argued.
Miss Boshier alleged that the woman had made “a number of false claims” in her financial statement to the court. She described the statement as “deficient” and suggested that it may now have to be “looked at” since it was a statutory declaration.
She said that the woman claimed that she had donated money to earthquake victims. “The victims have been contacted and have stated that they did not receive the money that she claims she paid them.”
Mr Hall said he would need to speak to the woman about these matters during the week’s remand to the new sentencing date, and he would tell the court if a disputed facts hearing was needed.
He said the woman was not a flight risk, and there had been no suggestion of any further offending while she was on bail.
Judge Callaghan decided to grant bail for the week until her sentencing, a hearing which he has set for half a day on Wednesday.
Category: News
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