Kelly Jean Wilton pleads guilty to fraud as employee after taking $416k from Gold Coast business

A Gold Coast family say their business has a “slim chance of surviving” after a trusted employee fleeced them of more than $400,000 in little more than a year. Read what happened in court

A Gold Coast family has been left fighting to keep their business afloat after a trusted employee fleeced them of more than $400,000.

Kelly Jean Wilton became a full-time employee at Benson and Brown Marine Electrical at Coomera in mid-2022, where she was first brought on as a casual bookkeeper.

Southport District Court was told Wilton soon started using her access to the business’ payroll and accounting systems to pocket extra cash, taking more than $416,000 in just over a year.

Crown prosecutor Amelia Baker-Smith said the 54-year-old fudged business records to try to cover her tracks, making the company seem profitable when it was actually running at a loss.

Wilton was caught out when another accountant raised concerns and completed an audit. She was stood down the same day the matter was reported to police.

Ms Baker-Smith said Wilton was fired soon after and sent several requests to be paid her final week’s income along with annual leave and loading, claiming she was entitled to them and needed them to cover living expenses but knew what she had done was wrong.

A 54-year-old woman will spend the next two years behind bars after taking more than $400,000 from her Gold Coast employer. Picture: hoozone/iStock

Parts of a victim impact statement from the owners of the Coomera business were read aloud in court, revealing the company had a “slim chance of surviving” in the wake of the betrayal.

The court was told its founder was forced to sell a rental property he hoped would fund his impending retirement to cover tax or loans taken out for wages and supplier costs, with both he and his son since struggling with depression.

He wrote he was concerned Wilton – who had been sentenced years prior for less serious thefts – would go on to do the same thing again.

It was heard Wilton’s scheme was fuelled by a “devastating” gambling addiction, the catalyst of which was the breakdown of a 20-year relationship.

Her bank records showed a significant number of payments to her Sportsbet account and cash withdrawals at her local club throughout her employment.

Defence barrister Jack Kennedy, instructed by Howden Saggers Lawyers, said his client had managed to quit gambling “cold turkey” when she realised the gravity of her situation and that she was likely facing time behind bars.

“When my client had the victim impact statement read to her, her response was quite emotional – she immediately indicated she felt remorse and was deeply ashamed of her conduct,” he said.

“The complainants were friends of hers, they did trust her and she accepts she has breached that trust.”

Wilton pleaded guilty to fraud as an employee to the value of $100,000 or more.

She was sentenced to six years’ jail with parole from October 28, 2026.

Originally published as Kelly Jean Wilton pleads guilty to fraud as employee after taking $416k from Gold Coast business