Stephanie Louise Bennett fronts Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Sea World pilot fraud charges

The woman who allegedly used dead Sea World helicopter pilot Ash Jenkinson’s identity to get out of a traffic fine has faced court.

The woman who allegedly used dead pilot Ash Jenkinson’s identity to get out of a traffic fine just days after he was killed in the Sea World helicopter tragedy, has finally faced court.

Stephanie Louise Bennett, 33, attempted to plead guilty to the two serious fraud charges against her two weeks ago, by sending an apology email to the Beenleigh Magistrates Court, but the pleas were rejected by Magistrate Terry Duroux.

Stephanie Louise Bennett, 36, walks out of the Beenleigh Court on Thursday. Picture: John Gass

He ordered Ms Bennett appear before the court in person, or police would arrest her.

Ms Bennett currently faces one count of fraud dishonestly inducing a person to act and one count of obtaining or dealing with another’s identity for the purpose of committing an indictable offence.

The charges come after Ms Bennett was issued an infringement notice for being caught using her mobile phone while driving on December 15.

She then allegedly nominated Sea World pilot Ash Jenkinson as the driver using information from his death notice on January 9, days after he and three others were killed in the Sea World helicopter collision.

Sea World Helicopter pilot Ash Jenkinson and partner Kosha Richardson-Johnson.

In her apology email to the court on April 6, Ms Bennett claimed that she didn’t know who Mr Jenkinson was, despite widespread media coverage of the helicopter crash.

She wrote that she was going through “personal matters” and “financial troubles” at the time, and had attempted to undo the alleged fraudulent nomination the next day.

“The following day I remembered what I did and tried to undo it by attempting to nominate myself but the website didn’t accept it,” she wrote to the court.

Police will allege that she fraudulently used Mr Jenkinson’s name and date of birth to avoid losing her licence.

Stephanie Louise Bennett outside Beenleigh Court. Picture: John Gass

Ms Bennett attended the Beenleigh Court on Thursday and her defence lawyer Nicole Conlan of Howden Saggers Lawyers requested an adjournment for next Wednesday, with Ms Bennett expected to plead guilty to the charges.

Ms Bennett donned a headscarf and face mask to conceal herself from the media as she exited court, refusing to speak to journalists.

Magistrate Mark Howden granted the adjournment, with Ms Bennet to next appear on April 26.

Originally published as Stephanie Louise Bennett fronts Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Sea World pilot fraud charges