Bethany Connolly, Daniel Knowles sentenced for fraud and dishonesty charges

A woman has been ordered into home detention for ripping off thousands of dollars by using victims’ information. Her partner was also sentenced after he benefited from her deception.

A Sydney woman has been ordered into home detention after she fraudulently applied for bank accounts and cards with other people’s identity information before making transactions totalling thousands of dollars.

Her partner also benefited from her criminal actions when he made purchases.

Carss Park couple Bethany Connolly, 29, and Daniel Knowles, 33, fronted Sutherland Local Court on Friday where they were sentenced for a range of fraud and dishonesty offences.

Connolly was placed on an intensive correction order for three years.

For the first two years she will be unable to leave her home but in the third year she will be allowed out into the community but must be of good behaviour.

Magistrate Philip Stewart said Connolly only avoided going to prison because she gave birth last month.

Connolly will also be electronically monitored for three years.

Bethany Connolly and her partner Daniel Knowles came out of Sutherland Local Court on Friday after being sentenced for fraud offences. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Knowles avoided going into prison and was placed on an intensive correction order for 18 months on Friday.

Magistrate Stewart said Connolly had a “multitude of significant fraud matters” where she obtained “substantial benefit.”

Agreed facts tendered to court said the couple were arrested on November 9, 2021 and charged with fraud offences.

Investigators executed a search warrant at their home where they seized diaries which included personal identity information of victims and electronic devices including SIM cards and USBs.

Officers also found photos and emails of identity information of five victims.

Connolly’s pattern of offending included setting up phone services in the names of two victims.

Former contracts manager Bethany Connolly pleaded guilty to a range of offences. Picture: Facebook

On September 1 last year, she applied for a bank account online from Bank Australiawhere she entered a victim’s name, date of birth, phone number, email address, mailing address and a copy of a NSW driver’s licence.

The application was successful and Connolly was granted two accounts, along with two cards.

One of the accounts had a balance of $3108.34, with it showing $12,021.50 in debit and $15129.84 in credit.

Connelly made about 71 fraudulent transactions on this account between September and October 2021.

Later that month, she opened another bank account with ANZ in the victim’s name using his details, and she was granted three accounts.

On October 6, a transfer of $10,500 was received into the ANZ access advantage account from Service NSW. However, the bank blocked the transfer.

Bethany Connolly (left) and Daniel Knowles (behind) exited Sutherland Local Court on April 21, supported by Connolly’s parents (front). Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Connolly used a false pay slip she created from the man’s former employer in order to show earnings and be granted a loan. The pay slip showed the right name and driver’s licence number but inaccurately detailed the man’s phone number and email address.

She also created accounts with ride share company OLA, Energy Australia and PayPal using the victim’s details.

Similarly, Connolly made an online application for ANZ Bank in the name of another male victim on September 2 using his name, address and date of birth. She once again created pay slips from the man’s former workplace so she could be granted a loan.

Investigators determined no transactions were committed with these bank accounts.

The phone number she used to set up the account was the same as the previous victim’s number.

Connolly also made an account online with Australia Post for a parcel locker using the man’s details. She purchased an item and had it delivered to a locker before she picked it up.

Connolly purchased an item for $81.40 and used Laybuy to pay it off using the Bank Australia card.

She also made purchases for baby costumes from an online store, which she set up in the victim’s name, and paid for it using Laybuy and the Bank Australia card.

On September 14, Connolly successfully applied for a NAB bank account using the second’s victim’s details and obtained a VISA bank card with a credit limit of $4500. She once again made and used a false pay slip.

Bethany Connolly tried to avoid the media by using an umbrella as she left court. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Connolly racked up $335 for adhesive restoration, X-rays and an oral examination at a dentist in Sutherland and used the Bank Australia card to pay for the appointment.

Between September 26 and October 21 Connolly successfully made 62 fraudulent transactions totalling $4346.33 in purchases and cash advances using the NAB account.

She racked up $170.60 from online purchase at Officeworks, and made large purchases at Baby Bunting, with one totalling $417,16. Some of the baby items were found during the search warrant.

Connolly also registered, using the victim’s details, for Centrelink COVID-19 disaster payments. She claimed and was granted $750 for six weeks, with the money deposited into the fraudulent bank accounts she had created.

On September 19, Connolly created a bank account with Citibank using a female victim’s details and a fraudulent pay slip, but the account was blocked before any transaction could be made.

Connolly made an account with OpenPay, a company that operates as a buy now, pay later financial service, using a third victim’s details where she spent $108.70 from a Bonds store.

None of the victims consented to Connolly opening the bank accounts nor using their personal details.

Connolly became a new mother in recent weeks. Picture: Facebook

Meanwhile Knowles benefited from Connolly’s fraudulently established bank accounts and cards to pay down his $16,845 unpaid fine amount with the NSW Revenue office by $1002.50 on September 21.

He transferred another $500 from the fraudulent bank account into his own account.

Knowles also spent $1349 on a new iPhone 12 at JB Hi-Fi in June using a fake bank account of another victim.

The documents also said Knowles in 2020 was found with his partner inside her car along with a ledger of people’s personal details and a laptop. They were both arrested and denied knowledge of the ledger.

Connolly was charged with 17 offences including possessing identity information to commit an indictable offence; dealing with identity information to commit an indictable offence; using false documents to obtain financial advantage; dishonestly obtaining property by deception and making false document to obtain financial advantage.

Knowles was charged with possessing identity information to commit an indictable offence; driving a motor vehicle while disqualified; having goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen; driving while licence application is refused and dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.