Ex-Logan councillor Stacey McIntosh jailed over theft of $180k from Fortuna Engineering

A former Logan City councillor will spend Christmas behind bars after being jailed for siphoning $180,000 from a Brisbane engineering firm.

Ex Logan councilor Stacey McIntosh attended court 30 times in her fraud case. PHOTO: Tara Croser

A FORMER Logan City councillor will spend Christmas behind bars after being sentenced to three years in jail for stealing $180,000 from a Brisbane engineering firm.

Justice Tony Moynihan sentenced Stacey Lee McIntosh, 37, to three years and two months in prison after she pleaded guilty in August to misdirecting $184,000 from Coopers Plains engineering company Fortuna Engineering into her own accounts in 2014.

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Former Logan City Councillor Stacey Lee McIntosh. Picture: AAP/Dan Peled

Justice Moynihan said her crimes had a serious impact on the families and employees of Fortuna Engineering.

He also said Ms McIntosh had never paid back any of the money.

Ms McIntosh, who was represented by a criminal lawyer, appeared composed and did not move when the sentence was read out.

In her written apology, Ms McIntosh expressed remorse and regret for her family but did not apologise to Logan ratepayers, who had no representation after she was suspended.

A psychologist’s report was tabled but showed no major psychological issues.

Prosecutor Mel Wilson told the court 9 per cent, or about $16,000, of the embezzled funds went to Ms McIntosh’s 2016 election campaign.

The court also heard Ms McIntosh’s daughter would be looked after by her grandmother.

The sentence will be suspended after 12 months, when Ms McIntosh can apply for parole.

The maximum penalty for the offences is 14 years’ jail.

It was her 30th appearance on the matter, which first went to court on January 10, 2017.

Since then, the former Division 6 councillor remained on bail, fronting court and successfully getting her case adjourned, after she had trouble finding defence lawyers.

She had been expected to fight the allegations after a trial date was set in August but the matter was later adjourned for her to enter a guilty plea.

Logan resident Dan Ling, who followed the case over the past year, said he was glad justice had prevailed and was now looking forward to getting proper local government representation.

Ms McIntosh was charged in December 2016 for the crimes committed between June, 2014, and July, 2016, predating her council election in May 2016.

Ms McIntosh was suspended on full pay of $130,000 in May 2018 until she, and the rest of the council, were dismissed on May 2 by Queensland’s Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe.

Her sacking followed suspended mayor Luke Smith and seven other councillors being charged by the Crime and Corruption Commission with integrity offences.

Mr Smith and the other councillors will defend the charges.