Melanie Kilgour: Shepparton teacher jailed for fraud on Alexandria Community Hub

A former Shepparton schoolteacher wept in court as a judge sentenced her to jail over her calculated, dishonest fraud against her former employer.

A former Shepparton schoolteacher sobbed in court when she learned she would be sent away for a “tough” stint in jail over her campaign of fraud against a not-for-profit community group.

Mother-of-two Melanie Kilgour, 44, was jailed for six months plus a two year community corrections order in the Melbourne County Court on Thursday, having previously pleaded guilty to obtaining nearly $150,000 by deception and to using a false document.

Kilgour was the former co-ordinator of the Alexandria Community Hub when, in 2019 she took the money from the association to send to an online romance scammer based overseas.

After she was sacked and charged, she returned to a teaching job in Shepparton.

Melanie Kilgour aka Melanie Gourlay, has been jailed for her fraud on the Alexandria Community Hub.

Kilgour’s fraud came to light when she tried to pass off a document with a forged signature, and eagle-eyed bank staff tipped off her bosses.

Judge Michael Tinney said it didn’t matter that Kilgour wrongly thought she had been in an online relationship, and that he would have jailed her just the same had she been duped into committing frauds to give money to a real life boyfriend.

Judge Tinney said Kilgour had repeatedly changed her story, and rejected her latest argument that the scammer had threatened to distribute nude photos of her unless she kept sending him money.

Since being charged, Kilgour has sold her home, paid back $116,000 to the association, is now penniless and has been living with her elderly parents.

Judge Tinney said it would send the wrong message to other would-be white collar criminals if he did not make Kilgour serve some jail time.

“Really, you pushed the dishonesty to the limit,” he said.

He said he was “not too impressed” by a letter of apology Kilgour had written, in which she came up with “all manner of excuses” for her offending.

“There’s a fair dose of self-pity, but when I reflect on it, why wouldn’t there be?” he said.

“You’re pretty much penniless, and on the brink of prison.

“One would never have expected that you would offend in the calculated way that you did, and end up sitting in the dock of the court.”

Judge Tinney described Kilgour’s crimes as a “flagrant breach of trust”.

“You really should be ashamed of yourself,” he said.

“The only appropriate sentence in this case involves sending you to prison.”

Kilgour was also ordered to repay the remainder of the $148,909 she defrauded to the club.