Sandra Dorne Colbert to pay back $100 a fortnight after Centrelink rort

A Gold Coast mother of three has been ordered to pay back the $12,000 she swindled from taxpayers while working at two government agencies.

A GOLD Coast mother of three has been ordered to pay back the $12,000 she swindled from taxpayers while working at two government agencies.

Sandra Dorne Colbert, 46, received welfare payments for 13 months while working part-time at the Australian Taxation Office and later Centrelink.

She was employed at Centrelink to advise others how to declare payments correctly.

The Southport Magistrates Court was yesterday told she failed to declare to Centrelink that she was employed and later did not update any change in circumstances after transferring roles.

The discrepancies were uncovered by the Australian Taxation Office in June 2018.

“The defendant was an employee of the Australian Taxation Office when she made a false declaration to Centrelink that she was unemployed,” Commonwealth prosecutor Hollie Wiffen said.

“That defendant then began working at Centrelink and did not declare this employment to Centrelink and was overpaid a total of $12,707.

“Whilst employed by Centrelink the defendant would advise other customers how to correctly report their earnings.”

The court was told Colbert “assumed her payments were correct”.

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Mother-of-three Sandra Dorne Colbert, 46, was overpaid $12,737 after she informed Centrelink that she was not earning an income.

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Yesterday she pleaded guilty to obtaining financial advantage for one’s self, 14 counts of making a false document and 14 counts of using forged documents.

Ms Wiffen told the court Centrelink had attempted to contact her on at least three occasions.

The court also heard that for nine months in 2018 while working at Centrelink she forged 13 medical certificates and submitted 15 to get sick leave approved.

Ms Wiffen said more than 100 hours of paid and unpaid leave had been granted, at a cost of

$3085, which has since been repaid.

An internal investigation uncovered the offending and Colbert later resigned.

Defence solicitor Ashleigh Smith, of Gatenby Lawyers, said Colbert was extremely remorseful.

She said Colbert was currently making $100 fortnightly repayments to pay the money back which was “substantial” given her personal circumstances.

Ms Smith told the court Colbert was on a waiting list to receive spinal surgery after injuring her back. She uses a walker and takes medication because of the injury.

The court heard she had already repaid $4391

Magistrate Michelle Dooley took into account Colbert’s personal circumstances but said the fact that she worked at Centrelink and advised customers on their payment obligations contributed to the severity of the offending.

She sentenced Colbert sentenced to nine months prison, with immediate release, and was ordered to a two-year $800 good behaviour bond.