Sarah Fitzgerald: Brunswick childcare worker steals from Centrelink

A Brunswick childcare worker stole more than $38,000 from Centrelink while already receiving hefty support cheques.

Sarah Fitzgerald has been ordered to repay the full amount of stolen money.

A childcare worker who stole more than $38,000 from Centrelink was found to have fed the government lies for more than six years.

Sarah Jane Fitzgerald, also known as Sarah Jane Bolton, was fined $1500 with conviction before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, having pleaded guilty to two charges of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage from the Commonwealth.

Fitzgerald repeatedly lied to Services Australia about her income from July 7, 2012 until February 11, 2019, leading to her pocketing $38,477.06 she wasn’t entitled to.

Fitzgerald earned $132,2390.41 while she was receiving the Single Parenting payment between July 7, 2012 and March 12, 2018, yet told Services Australia that she had earned less than $50,000.

She worked five different jobs as a child educator, including for Smart Start, Woodland Education, G8 Education, Expect A Star and Camp Australia, during this time, but repeatedly lied and said she was unemployed for periods of several months.

The mum further lied and said she had only earned $4960 from March 13, 2018 until February 11, 2019, while claiming the Newstart unemployment allowance.

In reality, she was working for Camp Australia and MECCA Brands, and earned almost $20,000.

The court heard Fitzgerald was supported by more than $73,000 in benefits that she was entitled to receive while lying to get her hands on more cash.

It was heard she had been benefiting from social security payments since 1999.

Her crimes were discovered by data matching in late 2018 before she was interviewed by Services Victoria in 2019 and admitted to her wrongdoing.

Fitzgerald’s lawyer told the court his client, who had no criminal history, was mortified she had hurt the “only organisation” that had helped her over the years.

A letter Fitzgerald wrote to the court said she was deeply embarrassed and the crimes were the biggest mistake she had ever made.

The lawyer said the mum of a primary school aged son fully intended to repay the stolen money as soon as possible and pushed for his client to be handed a good-behaviour bond.

He said Fitzgerald had been under stress due to her family situation during the crimes, especially as a single mother following her separation from her husband.

Magistrate Crisp said a bond would be too lenient, ordering Fitzgerald repay all the funds as well as pay her fine.