Jodi Louise Nuske on trial for allegedly defrauding $750k from Bistro C Noosa

Five witnesses who testified against a Noosaville woman accused of swindling more than $750,000 a Hastings St restaurant have faced a scathing accusation in court.

Jodi Louise Nuske leaves Maroochydore District Court. Pictured: Patrick Woods.

Five of the witnesses who testified against a Noosaville mother, accused of taking more than $750,000 from a ritzy Hastings St restaurant, have been accused of “colluding” against her.

Jodi Louise Nuske, 44, is on trial in the Maroochydore District Court for a charge of fraud after she was accused of swindling money from Bistro C over a three-year period without authority. She has pleaded not guilty.

December 15 marked the eighth day of the trial, where defence barrister Scott Casey gave his closing statements to the jury, which included a scathing accusation towards five of the witnesses called by the prosecution.

Mr Casey claimed Bistro C owner Lorraine Banks, her daughter Hayley Banks, Ms Nuske’s former assistant Ashleigh Goodman, staff member Deb Scotney and Lorraine Banks’ accountant Paulette Clarke were “colluding” against his client and had deliberately “thrown (her) under the bus”.

Bistro C, Noosa.

“Each of these witnesses had worked together for an extended period of time,” he said.

It comes after Lorraine Banks told the court on December 5 she treated Ms Nuske like one of her own daughters and had given her power of attorney over her will.

This has not been the first time a bombshell claim against a witness has been made in the trial, after one woman was accused of doing drugs in front of Ms Nuske.

But Mr Casey claimed the group of women had ganged up on Ms Nuske because she “knew too much” about Ms (Lorraine) Banks taking money from the business and evading tax.

“To Lorraine and her very close-knit group of people, that may have become a risk,” he said.

Maroochydore Courthouse. Picture: Patrick Woods.

He continued his closing statement by reminding the jury of the vastly different stories told by Ms Nuske and prosecution witnesses, and said the crown witnesses’ evidence should not be accepted.

Earlier, one final witness, Noosa solicitor Virgil Power, was called to the stand to give evidence about Bistro C owner Lorraine Banks’ will.

He told the court Ms Banks’ had changed the conditions of her will to leave the Bistro C business to four staff – including Ms Nuske – after she raised concerns about what would happen if she and her daughters all died at once. This came shortly before taking a flight to England for her Mother’s birthday, the court heard.

Ms Nuske told the court previously that Ms Banks had a “premonition” the plane went down, and there would be no one left to run the business.

The trial is expected to continue on Friday, December 16, where crown prosecutor Alex Stark will give his closing statements to the jury.