Former CAAMA employee sentenced over defrauding $51,000

A single mother of two has been sentenced in court after defrauding more than $51,000 from Centrelink.

A LOCAL hostel employee and single mother of two has been sentenced to home detention after defrauding more than $51,000 from centrelink.

Alice Springs woman Nat­asha Watkins pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining financial advantage in Alice Springs Local Court and was sentenced on Monday.

The court heard Watkins, a former CAAMA radio employee, intentionally failed to inform Services Australia’s ­department of income and employment of her income from Aboriginal Hostels in the town for 66 fortnights from March 2016 to September 2018.

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The total overpayments equalled $51,204.33.

The court heard she had two children, aged six and 18, and was receiving parenting payment.

Judge Greg Borchers said it was a “serious offending” of a “substantial amount of money”.

“It affects the integrity of the social justice system,” he said during sentencing.

During the period of offending, she was employed as a duty manager at the Sid Ross Hostel in Alice Springs, which caters for Indigenous people who require accommodation while they are accessing medical treatment.

“During that time, she failed to fulfil her reporting requirements,” Judge Borchers said.

“It results in significant costs to the community at large.”

He said he did not accept the 18-year-old child was necessarily in need of financial support and it was not an ­excuse for the misreporting.

The court heard several employers and colleagues attested to her good character and she had a “good work record”.

The debt is yet to be repaid.

Watkins was convicted and sentenced to 10 months’ prison, but will serve three months in home detention with the remaining seven months suspended. She was put on a 12 month’ good behaviour bond and fined $500.

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