Mum-of-three jailed for stealing benefits from disabled pensioner

A woman has been jailed for fraudulently claiming more than $80,000 in benefits meant for a disability support pensioner over three-and-a-half years.

Nikkita Anne Sonter was jailed for fraudulently claiming more than $80,000.

A woman has been jailed for fraudulently claiming more than $80,000 in benefits meant for a disability support pensioner over three-and-a-half years.

Nikkita Anne Sonter, 32, was sentenced in Brisbane District Court on Monday after pleading guilty in October to two counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception.

The court heard Sonter claimed disability support pension payments for a man, who was a relative of one of her friends, and redirected them into bank accounts she controlled.

Between November 2015 and May 2019, Sonter obtained $82,110.64 in Centrelink payments made over 93 fortnights.

Sonter, a mother of three children, was also receiving Newstart and parenting benefits during this time.

“There were some real aspects of sophistication in relation to the offending,” Judge John Allen KC said during sentencing.

“It persisted until an investigation commenced after the Child Support agency received information from [the victim disability support pensioner] that he was not in receipt of Centrelink benefits.

“He had ceased receiving the disability support payments prior to you [Sonter] fraudulently redirecting them.”

The court heard Sonter had a criminal history for mostly drug offences, for which she had received suspended jail terms. She did have one previous dishonesty offence on her record, but this occurred in 2012.

Defence barrister Kerala Drew, representing Sonter, conceded actual prison time was in order, but asked for it to be a two to three-year term with release after 9-12 months.

She said her client had been battling a “significant drug addiction”, and she had suffered a prejudicial childhood where her parents split when she was one and she witnessed her mother suffer physical domestic violence at the hands of her new partner.

Ms Drew added that Sonter had faced issues finding permanent accommodation, and had spent significant time in emergency accommodation.

In sentencing, Judge Allen said due to the seriousness of Sonter’s offending, he believed imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence.

“[Sonter’s offending] risks demonising those in genuine need and carries the added potential to lead to additional restrictions and delays being imposed on genuine [Centrelink] claimants, ultimately harming those most in need of support,” he said.

As Sonter sat sobbing in the dock, Judge Allen sentenced her to three years behind bars, but ordered that after serving nine months she be released on a $5000 good behaviour bond for a period of three years.

She was also ordered to repay $82,110.64 to the Commonwealth.