Ex-NRL WAG Belinda Simmonds’ ‘reprehensible’ $90k fraud

The wife of a former NRL player admitted to stealing $90,000 from a childcare centre, using some of the money for shopping sprees.

The wife of former Illawarra Dragons player Reece Simmonds has suffered a major blow in court after she admitted to stealing $90,000 from a childcare centre.

Belinda Jayne Simmonds, 42, appeared in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to two counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception with a third count to be taken into consideration.

The former NRL WAG admitted to stealing more than $90,000 from her employer Shellharbour Kiama Family Day Care over five years.

While working at the childcare centre as a finance manager between 2013 and 2018, Simmonds used the company’s card to fund her lifestyle, court documents reveal.

Belinda Simmonds has avoided jail after stealing $90,000 from a childcare centre. Picture: Instagram

They show the former financial manager used the childcare centre’s company card on personal shopping trips, spending more than $1300 on a trip to Kmart and Target just days before Christmas in 2014.

She spent thousands of dollars on gift certificates to the Shellharbour Square shopping centre over the five years and also regularly shopped at Woolworths while the daycare footed the bill.

The mother of three spent thousands of dollars sprucing up her Towradgi home on her employer’s dime, according to the police facts.

She also refurbished her car with four new tyres and a wheel alignment, costing the childcare centre more than $1000.

The documents reveal the 42-year-old transferred more than $36,00 out of the day care’s bank account into her own account or used it to pay bills.

The court was told the childcare centre fired Simmonds in July 2018 after learning she had swindled them out of $90,000.

The court was told Simmonds was trying to keep up appearances with the stolen money. Picture: Instagram

The five-year fraud occurred years after her husband retired from playing for the Illawarra Dragons and turned his hand to coaching instead.

The former winger for the Dragons and South Sydney Rabbitohs supported his wife in court on Wednesday. He is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Belinda Simmonds had started defrauding the company almost immediately after being employed as a finance manager, the court was told.

Funds were transferred under sneaky titles like “reimbursement” and “payment for advertising” to benefit the former WAG.

Police prosecutor Anna Comer said Simmonds’ actions were “calculated to deceive” the community organisation.

“She was in a position of trust. She was working for a not-for-profit organisation which has barely stayed financially viable since the offences Ms Simmonds has committed and hasn’t paid back,” she said.

“This matter is just too serious not to warrant a custodial sentence.”

Belinda Simmonds was supported in court by her husband, former NRL player Reece Simmonds. Picture: Adelaide Lang

Defence lawyer Matthew Ward agreed the former WAG’s fraud was “easily identifiable” by anyone who worked at the daycare centre.

“While the conduct was clearly repeated, my submission is that it was not sophisticated. It was clearly traceable,” he said.

“It’s not a situation where there is significant use of the money in terms of investments … or shell companies.”

The court was told Simmonds was trying to “keep up the impression” that the family were financially fine “when there really wasn’t that joint income … to keep that happening”.

Mr Ward emphasised there had been no further offending since 2018 and told the court his client regretted stealing from her former employer.

“She’s contrite and remorseful for the conduct she did some years ago and she’s accepting responsibility for that,” he said.

Simmonds was now gainfully employed again, the court was told.

The court was told Simmonds knew she needed to pay back the $90,875 she stole from the childcare centre over the five years.

Magistrate Michael O’Brien noted the 42-year-old had a clean criminal record before the “reprehensible conduct” and deemed she was unlikely to reoffend.

He said her motivation fell “somewhere in between need and greed” when she stole $90,000 from her employer.

Mr O’Brien sentenced the former WAG to a two-year intensive corrections order and ordered her to repay the defrauded funds. He also directed her to participate in 500 hours of community service.