Stephanie Louise Bennett charged with fraud in Beenleigh Magistrates Court

A woman allegedly used the personal details of the pilot killed in the SeaWorld chopper crash to take the fall for a driving offence.

A woman who allegedly used the personal details of the pilot killed in SeaWorld chopper crash to take the fall for a driving offence has had her guilty plea rejected by the court.

Chopper pilot Ash Jenkinson died alongside British newlyweds Ron and Diane Hughes and Sydney mother Vanessa Tadros when the helicopter he was flying collided with another mid-air on January 2.

Police will allege Stephanie Louise Bennett, 33, used the personal details in Mr Jenkinson’s obituary to pin a driving offence on the late pilot.

Sea World chief pilot Ash Jenkinson died after his chopper collided with another on the Gold Coast in January.

Ms Bennett was allegedly caught using her mobile phone while driving in December.

The fine notice was sent out three weeks later – a week after Mr Jenkinson had been killed in the horror crash.

Police were allegedly alerted to the fine notice error when Mr Jenkinson’s widow contacted officers about the confusing correspondence because her late husband was attached to an unfamiliar car.

Ms Bennett was charged with two fraud offences and had her matter briefly mentioned in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Thursday.

She did not appear before the court on Thursday, instead attempting to enter a plea of guilty to both fraud charges by email to the court.

“I apologise for the turmoil this has caused anyone, I am immensely regretful for my actions,” stated her email, which was read aloud by magistrate Terry Duroux on Thursday.

“At the time I was going through personal matters, had time off work due to an injury and had no sick leave or annual leave, as I had just changed jobs.”

Mr Jenkinson and partner Kosha Richardson-Johnson, who contacted police after she’d received the infringement notice in her late husband’s name.

Ms Bennett said she was going through “financial troubles” when she received the initial driving infringement.

“I did not know the person I had nominated, I had found his information by the obituary,” she stated.

“The following day I remembered what I did and tried to undo it by trying to nominate myself yet the website wouldn’t accept it.”

Mr Duroux said he could not accept her written guilty plea and ordered Ms Bennett to attend court to enter her plea in person on April 20.

He said the charges were “far too serious” and ordered a warrant for her arrest if she did not attend Beenleigh Magistrates Court in two weeks.