Melbourne psychologist Kris Schroder sentenced after attempting to steal millions from dying partner

A Melbourne psychologist has learned her fate after she lied and attempted to steal millions from her dying partner.

A Melbourne psychologist who faked a will in order to steal millions from her dying partner will spend at least one year behind bars.

Kris Schroder, 61, created a fake will for her dying partner, Maree Hart, that left about $2.25m worth of property, inheritance and shares to her, and excluded family members who were named as beneficiaries in a prior will.

Schroder was found guilty by a trial after she pleaded not guilty to nine charges including obtaining financial advantage by deception, perverting the course of justice and perjury.

Schroder created a new will for Ms Hart, dated 2014, to replace the one Ms Hart had written herself in 1998.

She forged the signatures of two friends, Kenneth Ewington and Warren Rogan, as witnesses and then persuaded them to go along with the stunt.

Ms Hart was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2015 and died in 2016.

Before Hart’s death, Schroder told her partner’s niece and nephew their aunt’s affairs were not in order and didn’t have medical or financial powers of attorney.

After her death, Schroder sold the couple’s Kew property for $1.5m subject to probate and travelled to Thailand with Kenneth Ewington and Warren Rogan where she told them about forging their signatures.

Ewington and Rogan were both found guilty of perjury.

During the trial the jury heard Ms Hart‘s nephew contested the will, with Schroder offering the niece and nephew $100,000 each from the estate to withdraw their caveat.

Judge Claire Quin said Schroder’s actions had left Ms Hart’s niece and nephew feeling “deeply betrayed”.

Ms Hart’s niece, in an victim impact statement, said she never wanted her aunt’s house or money but this offending had affected the “future of [her] family and children”.

Schroder looked unrepentant, shaking her head as Judge Quin read her sentencing remarks.

“You had the opportunity to cease and you didn’t,” she said.

“You have attacked the administration of justice at its core.”

Schroder was convicted and sentenced to four years behind bars with a non parole period of 20 months.