Kelly Louise Jarrett pleads guilty to fraud over $20k theft

A single mother who stole $20,000 from her employer claims she was told she could help herself. Find out what happened next.

A “predatory” fraudster, who swiped more than $20,000 from her former Sarina boss, tried claiming she was given permission to help herself.

Magistrate Damien Dwyer blasted the 37-year-old single mum, who used the money to pay for her ice habit, for telling an “absolute lie” labelling her conduct as “predatory behaviour”.

Kelly Louise Jarrett had been employed as a bookkeeper/secretary at Sarina Blasting Services for three years when the crime occurred between July 2019 and January 2020.

The 37 year old swiped more than $20,000 from her former employer over six months.

Mackay Magistrate Court heard in her role she had access to the business’s working, visa and tax account from which she pilfered $20,807.50 over multiple transactions.

“It would seem you were skimming money out of each of those three accounts into your own accounts,” Mr Dwyer said, highlighting there was some level of sophistication.

She told police she had asked her boss if she could borrow money as she was having some financial difficulties and was told she could help herself.

The court heard her boss denied the conversation occurred.

The single mother only stopped after her offending was discovered.

“I do not accept anytime that an employer who is offering to assist their employee would give carte blanche openness to their tax accounts to take whatever they wish,” Mr Dwyer said.

“That is just rubbish, I don’t accept it.

“Employers are entitled to assume they aren’t going to get ripped off.”

The offending was reported to police in May 2020. Jarrett pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud and three counts of failing to appear in court.

The money was used to help feed her ice habit.

Mr Dwyer slammed Jarrett’s “lies” to the court in her effort to avoid the proceedings, including misleading the court about seeking legal advice.

“You have deliberately lied to the court over a period of a number of months,” Mr Dwyer said.

“So there is no remorse or co-operation exhibited by you at any time since this matter has come before the courts.”

Legal Aid Queensland solicitor Erin Beer argued her client, who had no criminal history, showed excellent prospects of rehabilitation.

“She had opportunities to pay that money back and she accepts that she did not do so, she put her head in the sand,” Ms Beer said.

Mr Dwyer labelled the crime as deliberate, persistent and while she was in a position of trust, and found that a custodial jail term was the only appropriate outcome.

Jarrett was jailed for two years and will spend six months behind bars, with a parole release set at March 26, 2022.

Convictions were recorded.