‘Money was just there’: Woman accused of $300,000 bushfire and COVID-19 grant fraud scheme

A woman accused of trying to rip off $300,000 in bushfire grants had an alleged brazen scheme in which ‘money was just there for asking’, a court heard.

An alleged disaster fraudster accused of a $300,000 bushfire and COVID-19 relief funding scheme has been granted bail despite the court hearing that she was set to be hit with more charges.

Ellen Louise Howard, 32, was on Wednesday granted bail by the NSW Supreme Court as she gets set to face a raft of charges.

Ellen Louise Howard has been granted bail.

The court heard that Ms Howard, from Aberdare in the Hunter Region, is alleged to have successfully obtained $104,000 and was attempting to obtain a further $258,000 in government and charity disaster relief funding.

She has been charged with 16 counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

The court heard that NSW Police were awaiting documents from Victoria and that either later this week or next week she would be charged with further alleged offences.

Justice Robert Hulme said that Ms Howard’s alleged offences related to instances in which she would simply apply for disaster relief schemes and “the money would end up in a bank account”.

“The government in this state and elsewhere in the country was generously giving away money to assist people affected by such event,” Justice Hulme said.

“And because of the urgency about it, and the need to provide money to needy people, the checks and balances that otherwise would have been in place were not there.

“In short, the money was there just for the asking.”

Ellen Louise Howard is facing 16 charges. Picture: Facebook.

The court has previously heard that Ms Howard is alleged to have used multiple bank accounts and email addresses to apply for 34 relief payments between March and September last year.

Justice Hulme said that she was on an intensive corrections order for possessing a prohibited drug and damaging property offences when she was arrested in November.

As well, the alleged offences were committed while she was on bail for other matters.

Justice Hulme further added that at the time of the alleged offending she was subject to a two-year community corrections order imposed in October 2019 for stealing offences.

Her defence lawyer Simon Healy said that fears of further offending could be mitigated with bail conditions including that she be watched “like a hawk” by police.

“The police don’t have the resources to watch people like hawks,” Justice Hulme said.

“They just don’t have the resources.”

Ellen Louise Howard is alleged to have obtained $104,000.

Mr Healy also said that the matter was not likely to be resolved until next year and argued it was unfair to keep her behind bars until then.

Ms Howard was granted bail by Justice Hulme on the condition that she be of good behaviour, live with her sister, not take prohibited drugs, report to police three times a week and not own a phone capable of accessing the internet.

She also had to hand over a $2000 surety.