Jodi Louise Nuske found guilty of defrauding Bistro C, Noosa
After a lengthy 10-day trial, a mother and ex-employee at a ritzy Noosa restaurant has been found guilty of swindling her old workplace out of more than $600,000.
Police & Courts
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A Noosaville mum’s swindling of a popular Hastings St restaurant has been described as “callous” as her marathon fraud trial came to a close.
Jodi Louise Nuske, 44, has been jailed for seven years after she was found guilty of defrauding Hastings St restaurant Bistro C out of more than $600,000.
The jury took less than two hours to reach the verdict on December 19, bringing the 10-day trial to an end.
Nuske showed no emotion after the verdict was delivered or when her sentence was handed down, as her supporters remained expressionless in the public gallery.
She was remanded in custody throughout the lunch period and while she awaited sentence.
The court was previously told Nuske worked as a bookkeeper at the popular restaurant on the Noosa glitter strip between 1998 and 2016.
The charges came after Bistro C owner Lorraine Banks was alerted to several unauthorised transactions from the business accounts, which she told the court Nuske was in complete control of.
Ms Banks told the court she later confronted Nuske with the evidence and said “I know you’ve been stealing from me”.
Nuske burst into tears and began apologising and even offered to go to the bank and pay her back, she said, though Ms Banks declined because she did not know how much had been taken.
Nuske’s employment was then terminated.
The court was previously told she had swindled $768,888 and spent it on various payments and invoices, including school fees, tax payments and payments on a brand new home herself and her husband were building in Noosaville; but she was instead ultimately sentenced on the basis of having taken $612,675.82.
Crown prosecutor Alex Stark submitted to Judge Gary Long that Nuske should be imprisoned for seven years.
He said Nuske was “solely motivated by personal greed” in her offending and called her betrayal of Ms Banks’ trust “particularly callous”.
He submitted Nuske should be automatically eligible for parole halfway through her sentence, but it was up to Judge Long to make that order.
Defence barrister Scott Casey said his client was a mother of two, who was thoroughly supported by her family throughout the three-week trial.
After leaving Bistro C, he said Nuske started working alongside her father in a women’s clothing business.
He said he agreed it was a “significant” amount of money taken, but Bistro C did not suffer financial hardship due to Nuske’s offending.
Mr Casey said this trial was preceded by a civil matter, however it was discontinued after Nuske filed for bankruptcy.
Judge Gary Long said Nuske had used the funds to maintain an “affluent standard of living” by treating Ms Banks’ resources as her own.
The maximum penalty for Nuske’s offending was 14 years behind bars, he said.
“It is … a sad situation for you and your family, who I note have been here to support you throughout the trial, that you find yourself in this position now; and being the mother of two young children,” he said.
Nuske was found guilty of one charge of fraud by dishonestly gaining a benefit above $30,000.
Judge Long sentenced her to seven years behind bars and did not comment on a parole eligibility date.
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