Sarah Hemsley: Employee sentenced for defrauding Tempe Decathlon store of $2420

A retail worker deposited thousands of dollars – including on one occasion with the help of her boyfriend who returned a tent he didn’t purchase – into her account while she worked at a Tempe store.

Sarah Hemsley (front) was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court for fraud and assault offences. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A retail worker deposited thousands of dollars – including on one occasion with the help of her boyfriend who returned a tent he didn’t purchase – into her account while she worked at a Tempe store.

Sarah Hemsley, 26, was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Monday after she pleaded guilty to five counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage through deception.

Agreed facts tendered to court state Hemsley, who lived at Engadine and Belmore, was working as a sales person at outdoor and sporting goods store Decathlon in December when she was investigated for several fraud offences.

Sutherland police came into possession of a receipt dated December 2 showing Hemsley had processed a refund of a tent costing $499.

The court heard CCTV showed a man, who was Hemsley’s boyfriend Raphael Gougkoussis, had entered the store but was not holding a tent.

Hemsley was sentenced in Sutherland court.

Footage showed him walking through the store and he picked up a tent and approached the register where Hemsley was working.

Hemsley completed the return, with the money returned electronically before Gougkoussis left.

Financial checks revealed Gougkoussis had $499 deposited into his Commonwealth Bank account and the same day he deposited $250 and $40 into Hemsley’s account, the court heard.

Further checks of Hemsley’s account showed she had four deposits into an account titled “refund” from Decathlon.

Across four hours, Hemsley made fraudulent transactions into her account of $399, two lots of $499 and $524 on December 4.

There is no suggestion the Gougkoussis was involved in these subsequent events.

In total, Hemsley caused a financial disadvantage to the store of $2420.

The court heard Hemsley’s ex-boyfriend was fined for his role in returning the item.

Hemsley was also pleaded guilty to a charge of common assault with facts tendered in court revealing she punched Gougkoussis in the face, before he punched her back, on December 9 at his house in Engadine.

The couple fought over Xanax tablets before Gougkoussis’ grandmother called the police.

The court heard Hemsley had previously been convicted of assaulting a security guard at Miranda Hotel and was in breach of a court order when she committed the fraud offences.

Hemsley’s defence lawyer Rodney Hackett said his client had struggled with substance abuse but was improving, adding she was going to a drug rehabilitation program on Tuesday.

He said Hemsley wanted to get her life back on track and regain full-time employment but needed to address her drug use first.

Mr Hackett said the relationship with Gougkoussis had ended.

The court also heard Hemsley’s mother had paid back the money to the store on behalf of her daughter and Hemsley would repay her mother.

Magistrate Philip Stewart said Hemsley “abused her position of trust” at the store.

He accepted she had borderline personality disorder, substance abuse disorder, anxiety and depression; and noted it was positive she was addressing her mental health and drug abuse.

Mr Stewart said Hemsley must also receive the “extremely lenient sentence” that Gougkoussis’ was given of a $490 fine for his role in returning the tent.

Hemsley was also placed on a two-year community correction order where she must be of good behaviour, complete 150 hours of community service, be abstinent from drugs and complete mental health treatment.

She was also fined an additional $1400 for the other fraudulent transactions.