Shakira Renee Quakawoot sentenced for $16,100 timesheet fraud

A worker who fell into a financial hole and used a bewilderingly basic method to defraud a Queensland asset management firm of thousands has fronted court.

Shakira Renee Quakawoot was sentenced for eight counts of fraud after falling into financial trouble caused by her partner's funeral. Photo: Contributed

A timesheet fudging worker of otherwise “impeccable” character was “too proud to ask for help” when she fell into financial trouble chose to defraud her employer, Mackay Magistrates Court has heard.

Shakira Renee Quakawoot pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraud which stemmed from her changing timesheets to take $16,100 from asset management firm the Wiseley Group in Paget over a period of eight weeks in 2021.

The 41-year-old’s lawyer Robyn Cathcart told the court the offending occurred in the context of financial problems caused by the cost of a funeral for Quakawoot’s late partner.

The court heard Quakawoot had planned to pay the money back before a mistaken call to her mother from her workplace soured the relationship and contact ended.

“Around 2021, she lost her long-term partner and her mother was also diagnosed as having breast cancer,” Ms Cathcart said.

“My client was so embarrassed about what she’d done, she hadn’t told her mother.

“Her mother received a phone call out of the blue, and the person on the phone call actually accused the mother of being my client (before) her mother hung up.

“(Wiseley) cut all contact because they were still very upset and my client advised me that it was the hardest thing she’s ever had to do to tell her mother what the phone call was about.”

Ms Cathcart said Quakawoot was “greatly loved and greatly admired by her family”, who she had a history of helping out financially, and so had been “too proud to ask for help”.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Linden Pollard said Quakawoot had been a “low level employee”, and not a person in a trusted position like a bookkeeper or accountant.

He said Quakawoot had no criminal history and a suspended sentence “in the range” of between 18 months and two years would be an appropriate sentence.

Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan said the “unsophisticated” offending seemed “opportunistic” and was always going to be caught as “anyone could look at time sheets and see the white-out”.

The court heard Quakawoot had submitted false time sheets for unworked hours and altered timesheets her supervisor had already signed off on.

“This isn’t a greedy case of fraud,” Ms Hartigan said.

“It’s not suggested you’ve gone out and bought expensive things for yourself.

“It seems you are the head of the family now (and) your expenses aren’t only geared towards yourself but helping those around you.

“This is very out of character for someone like you, you are otherwise of impeccable character.”

Quakawoot received an 18-month suspended jail sentence.

Convictions were recorded.