Catherine Leonia Dyason to spend a month in jail for ATO fraud

A Mildura mother-of-two raked in tens of thousands of dollars in bogus GST claims, blowing the money on new teeth and tyres for her car.

A Mildura hairdresser who ripped off the ATO to the tune of more than $30,000 used her ill-gotten windfall to get her teeth done and buy new tyres for her car.

Catherine Leonia Dyason was jailed for a month with a further two months suspended in the Mildura Magistrates’ Court on Thursday despite her lawyer claiming there would be difficulties in looking after her two children

The court was told Dyason registered a business under her name on February 9, 2022, with the main business activity listed as hairdressing service. On the same day, she registered for GST.

Later that month, Dyason lodged a GST refund claiming the tax office owed her $17,505, which was deposited in her bank account. The following month she again claimed the ATP owed her $16,705, which was also deposited into her account, for a total of $34,209 in fraudulent claims.

Later that month Dyason lodged a GST refund stating the tax office owed her $17,505, which was then deposited into her bank account.

In March Dyason took a similar course of action, claiming the ATO owed her $16,705, obtaining a total of 34,209 in fraudulent funds.

But the ATO had cottoned on to her offending and had begun auditing her account, with her registration being cancelled on July 19 last year.

Dyason was interviewed by police on December 8, where said that although she had left someone else to set up the account, she knew it was wrong.

“She made admissions to police that she gave her details to someone else and then (they) set it up for her,” the police prosecutor told the court.

“She thought it might come back to bite her in the arse”

“It was stupid,” Dyason told the police who interviewed her.

Dyason told the court that she spent the money on getting her teeth done, a new set of tyres for her car and general shopping.

Dyason’s lawyer Huge Middleton made submissions to the court that should his client be sentenced to a term of imprisonment there would be difficulties looking after her two young children.

However, Magistrate Patrick Southy said Dyason’s situation didn’t meet the burden of unreasonable hardship

“The fact you’ve got kids isn’t something I can consider, everyone’s got kids,” he said.

Mr Southy also said that while these offences weren’t related to methamphetamine, the appearance of the drug in her priors had destroyed her life.

“It’s really disappointing that she’s an intelligent, well-educated middle class woman, and drugs have just destroyed her life,” he said.

When handing down his sentence Mr Southy stressed the point that he had to set an example.

“I hope you understand this it’s about setting an example,” he said.

Mildura’s Catherine Dyason has been busted ripping off the ATO.