Employees caught ripping of their bosses before Toowoomba courts

When employees steal from their bosses it’s a huge breach of trust, and can have long-lasting consequences. Here are four people who were caught, and how their lies were unravelled. SEE THE LIST:

A high degree of trust is placed by employers on their staff, and when they’re caught stealing from a business, the damage can be immense.

Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Rohl said the breach of trust suffered when an employee stole from their employer was the most disappointing aspect of the offending.

“It’s a disappointing experience for employers who put a lot of time and effort into the development of staff, that breach of trust is a key issue,” he said.

Beside from the obvious financial implications of the issue, Mr Rohl said there were severe consequences for businesses.

“Whether that be time taken to investigate the allegations, the disruption to the business generally or finding new staff when there’s a current skill shortfall it takes a toll,” he said.

Mr Rohl said that appropriate training and induction practices were helpful in tackling the problem, as well as setting clear expectations of employees to make sure the organisation and staff were all heading down the same path.

Here are four people who have been before Toowoomba courts for stealing from their employers:

Catherine Mary James

The Toowoomba woman, who stole more than $100,000 from a local business, was brought undone after the company she worked for hired a chief financial officer.

Catherine Mary James appeared in Toowoomba District Court in July 2021 where she pleaded guilty to fraud.

The court heard James was employed in April 2011 by Toowoomba business Aspect Design Studio as an office manager, where her duties included paying accounts, depositing cheques, making payments on credit accounts. She was provided with access to the business bank account.

Crown prosecutor Matthew LeGrand told the court the 55-year-old began making fraudulent transactions from the business accounts in late 2014, and over a 44-month period transferred $104,810.32 in 133 transactions ranging from $99 up to $3500.

James’ fraudulent activity was uncovered after the business hired a chief financial officer in January 2018. It was discovered the company’s printing and stationary costs dropped considerably in the months following the CFO’s employment.

An investigation found numerous transactions had been allocated to printing and stationary costs, without any invoices, with transactions made out to Officeworks.

Judge Anthony Rafter convicted James and sentenced her to four years behind bars, suspended after six months. James was also ordered to repay $104,810.32 in compensation within four months, with an additional eight months jail time to be served if the compensation is not paid.

David James Craigen

A car salesman who ripped off his Toowoomba employer of $151,000 blamed an expensive divorce and gambling problems for his offending which arose from his employment with the Armstrong Auto Group.

Crown prosecutor Ellen Fletcher told Toowoomba District Court in August 2021 Craigen had over a 10 month period from November 2018 sold 15 vehicles to a third party, the money for which he had pocketed either in cash, bank transfer or cheque.

The matter came to light when a fellow employee found a car which had been in the Armstrong Auto Group lot at a relative’s home and asked where it had been bought.

Investigations found the 15 cars had been missing from the books and when asked about it Craigen had initially told his employer that the vehicles were under consignment, Ms Fletcher said.

In court Craigen, 54, pleaded guilty to fraud as an employee to more than $100,000.

Judge Anthony Rafter SC said while the $100,000 that Craigen had repaid in compensation to his former employer would see the sentence reduced, he had to spend time in jail.

Judge Rafter sentenced him to four years in jail but ordered the term be suspended after he had served nine months with the balance to hang over his head for four years.

Karen Rea Halliday

In an unsophisticated approach to try and hit the jackpot, the 55-year-old ripped her employer off of $23,800 in “gifting” herself Lotto tickets.

Halliday had no criminal history at all but had fallen into gambling addiction, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard in February 2022.

She had been working for IGA Newtown when between March 24, 2018, and May 26, 2019, she had on at least 55 occasions entered Lotto tickets for which she had not paid, police prosecutor Cameron Francis told the court.

In an unsophisticated approach to the offending, Halliday had simply pressed the button to provide herself with multiple entries of Lotto tickets for which she did not pay.

Mr Francis said the total loss amount was calculated at $23,881.71.

Halliday pleaded guilty to one count of fraud – dishonestly causing detriment by employee.

Magistrate Howard Osborne sentenced Halliday to 12 months in jail but ordered the whole term be suspended forthwith but to hang over her head for three years.

Halliday was ordered to pay restitution of $23,808.71.

Rebecca Anne Newsome

The hotel manager who ripped off a Toowoomba pub of more than $85,000 was jailed for three years.

Toowoomba District Court was told in March 2021 it was the 37-year-old’s job as manager of Wilsonton Hotel to bank poker machine takings, but she had instead kept cash over a five month period from November 30, 2018.

She had also stolen $1200 from the TAB float, Crown prosecutor Shontelle Petrie told the court.

Staff eventually noticed something was wrong when she had turned up in her pyjamas to collect the pub’s takings when she was normally immaculately dressed, she said.

After she was sacked, she had then spiralled out of control and had used a number of scams to forge cheques from clubs which she banked and for which she was sentenced to a suspended jail term.

Newsome pleaded guilty to stealing

Judge Dennis Lynch ordered that after serving six months jail, the balance of the jail term, two and a half years, would hang over her head for the next three years during which time she was not to reoffend or risk having part or all of that term served in custody.

Originally published as Employees caught ripping of their bosses before Toowoomba courts