Amanda Marie Dyer sentenced for $1.3m fraud as victim outlines depths of her deception

A ruthless fraudster convinced the owner of the business she worked for to drain his life’s savings and keep his company afloat – in reality, it was funding her holidays.

An 81-year-old man ripped off $1.2m by a “ruthless” bookkeeper offered $200,000 of his own money to try to keep his struggling business afloat, his son says.

But, in reality, convicted fraudster Amanda Marie Dyer was siphoning off the money to herself as she convinced one-time trucking heavyweight Rick Cobby his business needed the financial support.

Dyer, 58, of Normanville, was on Thursday sentenced in the Adelaide District Court by Judge Simon Stretton to seven years and nine month in jail with a five-year non-parole period.

Alongside Mr Cobby’s business – Cobby Transport – Dyer was fleecing Normanville’s Lady Bay Hotel to the tune of $90,000 before an anonymous tip off alerted them to her deception and she was sacked.

Meanwhile, police were compiling their case on the way to laying 235 charges of theft.

Sentenced $1.3m fraudster Amanda Dyer unmasked. Picture: Supplied

Amanda Dyer convinced a respected business owner to drain his life’s savings to keep his company afloat. Picture: Supplied

She later pleaded guilty to eight charges of theft.

Mr Cobby’s son Jamie described to The Advertiser the extent of Dyer’s “ruthlessness”.

“What she did was she said, ‘we need some help with cash flow, can you lend some of your savings back into the business?’,” he said.

“She said $100,000 would probably help out. One that was gone she asked for another hundred, and that went also.

“Then she asked for more and he didn’t have any more.”

The fraud led to the liquidation of Cobby Transport, which eventually led to Dyer’s crimes being discovered.

Dyer had used the money she acquired between 2013 and 2018 to fund a lavish lifestyle including jewellery, living expenses and holidays.

Meanwhile, Mr Cobby had a caravan he and his wife would go on holidays in taken as part of his businesses liquidation.

Convicted fraudster bookkeeper Amanda Dyer. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Mariuz

“It’s just such a shame (Dad’s) gotten to this point of his life and everything he’s worked so hard for is gone,” his son said.

“He can’t afford to go on a holiday now.”

Amid the stress of losing his business and livelihood behind his back, Jamie Cobby said his father‘s health declined, leading to minor strokes and memory loss.

But it was the reputation hit – built over more than 60 years – that, Jamie Cobby said, hurt the most.

“He was so generous, but there was somebody on the other side reversing everything he had worked so hard to build,” he said.

“The money’s gone, Dad’s said that, and it wouldn’t matter if she got home d (detention), one year or 10 years, you can’t reverse what she’s done to not only Dad but the subcontractors – some of who lost $400,000, as well.

“He’s not only lost a multimillion-dollar business, he’s lost his personal money and his reputation.”

Casey Isaacs, for Dyer, previously pleaded with the court for leniency given his client was acting as a carer for her husband who had cancer.

But the chance for leniency dried up when Judge Stretton told him it was inevitable Dyer would be sentenced to prison.

That inevitability was realised when Judge Stretton handed down his sentence.