Michelle Joy Thompson pleads guilty in Roma Magistrates Court to committing fraud

A 43-year-old woman fronted court after she stole her employer’s horse, before handing police a forged receipt. Here’s what happened.

What could have been a simple, civil case turned into one of criminality after a 43-year-old woman handed police a forged document to convince investigators she was the owner of a stolen horse.

Michelle Joy Thompson appeared in Roma Magistrates Court on Tuesday where she pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud.

The court was told Thompson lived at the complainant’s property in Tingun where she trained and cared for the horse in question.

According to police, Thompson provided officers with a handwritten receipt she claimed proved she had purchased the horse.

Police seized the document and sent it away for a forensic handwriting analysis to be performed.

Experts used samples of both the complainant’s and Thompson’s writing to determine who had filled out the document.

Findings from the analysis revealed the receipt was written by someone else other than the complainant and most likely by Thompson.

Magistrate Shane Elliott said if Thompson hadn’t forged the receipt then this matter would be in the civil court and he would’ve been able to determine who should own the horse.

“There’s obviously something going on about this horse between you and the complainant, and I’m not determining whether she did or didn’t tell you that you can have that horse,” he said.

“The criminality is the cover up afterwards, not the actual disagreement.

“You turned it into a criminal matter.”

Mr Elliott acknowledged her behaviour was “out of character” and decided against recording a conviction.

Thompson was fined $500, and Mr Elliott ordered the horse be returned to the complainant.