Glenys Ann Witt sentenced for flood fraud in Coffs Harbour court

A woman who was living in a cabin at the Clog Barn during one of the recent flood events that devastated the region has been sentenced for flood fraud.

The woman was living at a cabin at the Clog Barn and Holiday Park on the Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour.

A woman living at the Clog Barn on the Pacific Highway lied about damage to the floor of the cabin she was staying in to gain $1,400 in emergency relief payments.

Glenys Ann Witt was before Coffs Harbour Local Court on Thursday, May 19, charged with receive financial advantage from Commonwealth entity.

The court heard she was living at the Clog Barn with her new born baby at the time of the major flooding event in the region in March 2021.

The 41-year-old was arrested in relation to the offence on February 9 this year.

Witt’s lawyer said she was struggling at the time and feels remorse and guilt for her actions but the lawyer acting on behalf of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions described her actions as “brazen and calculated”.

The court heard she successfully applied for one payment of $1,000 for herself and another of $400 on behalf of her child.

Her lawyer told the court she had recently found employment and was attempting to pay the money back and asked Magistrate Ian Rodgers to consider not recording a conviction.

But Mr Rodgers said the matter was “way too serious to consider a non criminal conviction” and told the court she had a previous matter in 2012 of dishonestly obtaining by deception for which she was given a good behaviour bond.

Magistrate Ian Rodgers said the emergency aid was designed to get to those who required it urgently, but unfortunately that meant the funds could often be “the subject of fraudulent activity”.

For this latest offence she was convicted and sentenced to a Community Correction Order for a period of 12 months.

The floods of March 2022 devastated Lismore. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

Warning from the Minister

People lying to exploit flood relief payments have been warned they will be caught.

Government Services Minister Linda Reynold says she is aware of an increasing number of cases of potential fraud.

“The vast majority of people are getting the money and they’re using it locally because they need it,” she told commercial radio.

“However, there are always a minority of people who do try to cheat the system.

“That’s why we’ve got a very sophisticated intelligence and investigation capabilities to detect this fraud, to prosecute people, as we have done in the past.”