Former real estate identity Cathy Jayne Pearce — now Cathy Jayne Hogben — to face new fraud claims after crashing Mercedes Benz
UPDATE: Former real estate identity Cathy Jayne Pearce has been released on bail over allegations she defrauded more than $54,000 in insurance over a drunken car crash.
FORMER real estate identity Cathy Jayne Pearce has been released on bail over allegations she defrauded more than $54,000 in insurance over a drunken car crash.
Pearce, now known as Cathy Jayne Hogben, was released from the cells beneath the Adelaide Magistrates Court just after 10.30am this morning.
Although Hogben was granted bail last night, her release was delayed until her partner Daniel lodged a $5000 cash surety with the courts.
Hogben left court looking tired, wearing the same grey top and carrying the green coat she was wearing when arrested by Queensland detectives on Wednesday night.
“It’s been a horrific few days,” Hogben told The Advertiser as she walked to a waiting car. “I look forward to my day in court to maybe finally putting this to bed once and for all.”
Asked if she was shocked to be arrested on the Queensland charges, which date back to June 2008, Hogben said it was “quite a surprise”.
Under the conditions of her bail, Hogben must report to Sturt Street police station and face the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.
In documents filed with the Adelaide Magistrates Court, Queensland police claim Pearce blamed the sun for “getting in my eyes” on her way to church for the crash, rather than a blood-alcohol level of 0.12.
Hogben was arrested at her Somerton Park.
It is understood Hogben went voluntarily with police into custody after first packing a small bag.
She appeared in court Thursday afternoon on one count of fraudulently making an omission of an entry in an official record and one count of dishonestly gaining a benefit or advantage worth more than $30,000.
Queensland police are also preparing to charge her with further fraud counts, worth an additional $50,000, relating to allegedly dishonest property investment deals.
They also applied for an extradition order on the fraud charges to take Hogben, 41, to Brisbane.
Cathy Jayne Pearce over the years
The court heard Thursday the fraud allegations relate to a $54,759.60 compensation claim Hogben allegedly lodged with Allianz in June 2008.
Police have been unable to act on the longstanding allegation until now because they were legally required to wait until all South Australian matters pertaining to Hogben had been finalised.
It is alleged Hogben was involved in a crash of her luxury vehicle, understood to be a Mercedes Benz, in Brisbane on June 8, 2008.
However, police allege, Hogben was not entitled to claim the money because she deliberately gave the wrong date for the collision and was intoxicated at the time.
Police allege she had a blood alcohol reading of 0.12 but, in her insurance claim Hogben said the crash occurred four days later than it actually did.
She allegedly wrote on the form that she was “on my way to church and the sun got in my eyes”.
It is alleged that, after Allianz paid out the claim between September 1 and 8, 2009, police began their inquiries.
Today police prosecutor Immanuel Athans said Hogben was summonsed to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on the fraud charges on July 30 last year but failed to attend.
He said she also failed to attend a court date for the drink driving matter.
“Police are of the view she will fail to appear on her own undertaking again if granted bail,” he said.
He asked Magistrate Fred Field to remand Hogben into police custody, saying she would be flown back to Brisbane on Saturday and face court on Monday.
Erin Gregg, for Hogben, asked the court to release her client on bail.
She said that, while facing fraud charges in South Australia on 2008 and 2009, Hogben had regularly travelled from her then-residence in Queensland to attend court without missing a hearing.
She said those SA allegations were ultimately dismissed, and her client would be contesting the new allegations.
“Hogben has a baby with her partner, Daniel, that is still breastfeeding on a nightly basis,” she said.
“She has three children from a previous relationship and Mr Hogben has three from a previous relationship ... that’s 7 children for whom she is primary caregiver.
“A grant of bail would allow her to make arrangements for their care before she travelled to Queensland to face court, possibly with the dependent child.”
Mr Field said he would require Hogben to lodge a $5000 cash surety with the court before he would release her on bail.
As he spoke, Hogben could be heard saying from the dock “I’ve got $2000 on me right now”.
Mr Field said he would release Hogben on bail with her partner and her partner’s father serving as guarantors after the lodgement of the $5000.
He ordered she face the Brisbane Magistrates Court at noon on Monday, and report to SA Police twice a week while residing at Somerton Park.