Coke fiend Kimberley Harlow jailed for stealing $300,000 from Essential Media for cocaine habit
A former high-flying manager on $123,000 a year at an exclusive media agency stole $300,000 to fund her and her lesbian lover’s cocaine habit has claimed she owed “dangerous people” money in a bid to beat jail.
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A cocaine-addicted manager at an exclusive media agency who fleeced almost $300,000 which she blew on drugs, gambling travel, bars and Uber Eats has been jailed.
Kimberley Harlow, 30, was sentenced in the County Court on Tuesday to a minimum 16 months’ jail after pleading guilty to a rolled-up charge of theft.
Harlow was head of digital and creative for Essential Media Communications when she stole $291,450 between November 2017 and December 2018.
Essential Media, a “strategic communications” agency with offices in Melbourne and Sydney, has worked with several high-profile clients including the defunct Luke Batty Foundation.
Harlow created 132 bogus invoices ranging from $300-$11,000 which were paid directly to Condiment Creative Pty Ltd — a company she owned with business partner and ex-girlfriend Allegra Wilson. It is not suggested Ms Wilson knew of her former partner’s scam at the time.
The fraudster, who earned $123,000 a year, charged Essential Media for non-existent work including video editing and other digital services.
Harlow, who began with the agency in 2012, reported directly to Essential Media chief operating officer Natalie Dubois.
Ms Dubois queried Harlow on why every digital project was coming in over budget and who Creative Condiment was but received a “legitimate response”.
In November 2018, Ms Dubois held a performance review with Harlow where it was noted the former bright star’s performance had “declined significantly over the prior 12 months”.
Ms Dubois issued Harlow a “first and final” warning but she got upset, blaming her poor performance on Ms Wilson’s “mental health issues”.
Harlow stole another $47,000 in less than two months after she received the warning.
In January 2019, the agency’s accountant reported unexpected cost increases were attributable to Condiment Creative.
Further investigation revealed the Creative Condiment account and the account Harlow received her wages in shared the same BSB.
Financial records showed Harlow and Ms Wilson were directors of the company.
Harlow admitted to Essential Media senior management that she stole the money because she and her unemployed partner were “heavily addicted to cocaine” and she “owed lots of people money”.
Analysis of the Creative Condiment bank account uncovered cash transfers to other accounts and the rest was spent on “general living expenses” including flights, hotels, bars, parking and Uber Eats.
Only $301.16 remained in the account when Harlow was referred to Victoria Police.
Investigators attempted to interview Harlow in February 2019 but she had fled to a drug rehab facility in Queensland.
Harlow was eventually arrested and charged in June last year.
In her victim statement, Ms Dubois said Harlow’s offending had “damaged” some clients’ projects and affected Essential Media’s “reputation for delivering quality work”.
“(Harlow’s) dishonesty was a betrayal of not just the owners but the entire company and its ethos and values,” Ms Dubois said.
“Alongside Kim’s brazen fraud of the company, we also discovered a record of misconduct and disregard for our team members and clients that had gone undiscovered due to her senior position of trust within the company …
“The incident was a significant trauma to our team and created stress across the entire organisation.
“Kim’s behaviour had a serious impact on our culture and the friendly and trusting environment cultivated over many years.
“We have some sympathy for the circumstances which lead to Kim’s criminal behaviour, however remain devastated by the serious impact on our company and staff.”
The court heard Harlow wrote an apology letter to Essential Media.
The media and communications graduate — whose first job was at Essential Media — used ecstasy, ice and cannabis in her younger years but graduated to cocaine when she was 25.
“That was the beginning of the end,” Judge Michael Tinney said.
Harlow claimed she owed drug debts and money to “dangerous people” but Judge Tinney did not accept her claim which he said “made no sense at all”.
He said Harlow, who has since set up a “new life” on the Sunshine Coast, wanted the “dream life”.
Judge Tinney said Harlow “just flittered away” the cash on gambling, alcohol and cocaine — which she also gave to friends for free — to “prop up her life”.
“Who among us wouldn’t want an extra couple of hundred thousand tax free … not many,” Judge Tinney said.
“You were a first offender but you’ve jumped in the deep end here … it was flagrant deception.
“You took quite calculated steps to avoid detection … even when you promised to pull up your socks (you continued to steal).”
Harlow, who appeared via videolink from the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, was jailed for a maximum two years and nine months.
Essential Media’s insurance company has sought compensation of $233,000 from Harlow.
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