Jail for Kylie-Ann Power after stealing $13,000 raised for Queensland flood victims

A BLACK Saturday bushfire survivor who stole $13,000 of funds raised for Queensland flooding victims has been jailed for six months.

A BANKRUPT Black Saturday bushfire survivor who stole $13,000 of funds raised for Queensland flooding victims and then forged an email to prove to a magistrate she had repaid the money has been jailed for six months.

Kylie-Ann Power received a more lenient suspended sentence for the theft of the donated funds after presenting the fake email to a magistrate last year, County Court Judge John Carmody said.

He said the 36-year-old mother of three suffered post traumatic stress disorder and depression after seeing the burnt remains of people and places she knew following the Kinglake bushfire in 2009.

"You were lucky to escape with your life and your children," Judge Carmody said.

"It also makes the background to the offending harder to understand in this case."

Power pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice for presenting a fake email to Broadmeadows Magistrates' Court, purporting to be from Kinglake Ranges radio station, saying she had repaid the money to the fund for those affected by the 2011 floods in full.

The magistrate took that into account when Power was sentenced to four months' prison, suspended for 18 months, and made no order for the mum-of-three to pay any money because it was believed the funds were repaid.

However Victoria Police made inquiries with the radio station, which confirmed the email was not genuine.

Power, who was later declared bankrupt, was interviewed by officers in December 2011 and initially denied concocting the email and showed police her cheque book to try and convince them.

The court previously heard she had a $1000 a day pokies habit at the time.

The judge said the former cafe owner needed to address her alcohol, gambling and mental health issues, rather than deny their existence.

He said although the period of her incarceration would weigh very heavily on her, it was a serious offence because it undermined public trust in the administration if justice.

Power did not react as she was sentenced to a six-month jail term.

She has served six days in pre-sentence detention.

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