Georgia Sellick sentenced for embezzling $260k from local Kyabram businesses

A thieving Kyabram mum of three has broken down in tears after she was exposed for embezzling $260,000 from local businesses to pay for her house reno.

Kyabram woman Georgia Sellick was jailed after she was busted stealing from local businesses.

A thieving Kyabram mother wept as she was hauled off to jail after she “deliberately and repeatedly” abused her position of trust to embezzle employee superannuation and supplier payments from local family owned businesses.

Georgia Sellick, 31, faced the Melbourne County Court on Friday after pleading guilty to ripping off more than $260,000 from Kyabram businesses between March 2019 and September 2021.

While she was working as a bookkeeper, Sellick stole $151,306 from “family owned” Goulburn Valley business JAG Plumbing Kyabram owned by Jarrod Gale, the court heard.

She also stole $58,978 from Campaspe Hydraulics Engineering and $51,622 from AW AG Contracting which are businesses owned by Kyabram man Adam Whipp.

Mr Whipp, said in a statement to the court that he was “completely blindsided and betrayed” by Sellick’s “deception and lies” after her fraud was exposed.

Georgia Sellick stole $260k from local Kyabram businesses.

The court heard Sellick had embezzled funds meant for supplier payments and employee superannuation and benefits from the businesses into her own accounts across 238 fraudulent transactions.

Sellick’s offending was revealed through an extensive forensic accounting investigation, and only made “drip, drip” admissions to her embezzlement as each theft was exposed.

The defence argued she had not fully “confessed” because she had lost track of the full extent of how much she had stolen.

The court heard Sellick had used the embezzled money in the “renovation” of her family home.

Sellick claimed her thievery was motivated by the desire to give her kids a better life.

However, Judge Paul Higham found that she and her husband were not in dire financial straits and she had decided to use her employer’s money as a third income stream.

Kyabram woman Georgia Sellick outside Bendigo Magistrates’ Court.

The defence argued Sellick shouldn’t be jailed and taken away from her three kids and asked for a sentence in the community.

The defence told the court that when her fraud was exposed by the media she was sacked from her job, arguing that she had already been punished.

Judge Higham said Sellick’s “repeated and deliberate” fraud over two years was a “gross abuse of trust” and a “personal betrayal” of her employer.

Judge Higham found Sellick, who had paid back what she stole, to be genuinely remorseful and had “excellent” prospects of rehabilitation — however, he needed to make an example of her.

Georgia Sellick was sentenced to 10 months in prison. Picture: Nicholas Eagar

Judge Higham said a message must be sent to others in positions of trust thinking about “exploiting or abusing their employer” to enrich themselves.

“Be careful, because if you are caught you will be punished,” he said.

Judge Higham convicted and jailed Sellick for 10 months, with a two year community correction order to follow upon her release.

Sellick wept as she was hauled off to prison.

If she had not pleaded guilty, she would have been jailed for three years, three months with a non-parole period of two years and three months.