Audit reveals years of alleged fraud by Berwick Junior Football Club president Kate Murphy
Berwick Junior Football Club president Kate Murphy has been accused of embezzling more than $150,000 from her former job at a Pakenham law firm.
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The president of the Berwick Junior Football Club has faced court for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars while she worked at a prominent Pakenham law firm.
Kate Murphy was in Melbourne Magistrates Court Wednesday facing over 140 separate charges in relation to stealing money or attempting to steal money from her place of employment and its clients.
It was revealed to the Herald Sun that Ms Murphy, who lives in Berwick, allegedly stole more than $150,000 across four years at the firm she was working at as a conveyancer.
Charge sheets allege that Ms Murphy “altered bank transaction details”, on well over a hundred occasions stealing sums of money ranging from to over $18,000 to as little as $110.
In the meantime she has continued in her role as president of the junior football club and gained further employment as a paralegal at Shine Lawyers in Pakenham.
Ms Murphy’s alleged fraudulent activity involved stealing client funds and filing false invoices with more than 100 unauthorised transactions found including defalcation of trust moneys.
All told, Ms Murphy allegedly stole $160,000 from her employer and clients over the four years, with the first evidence of suspected wrongdoing appearing just months after she joined the firm.
When Ms Murphy left the firm an audit of her conveyancing files allegedly revealed significant discrepancies.
There was alleged evidence of fraudulent billing and misappropriation of client funds into six personal accounts at Westpac, including her primary wage account and her children’s bank accounts.
When contacted the Berwick Junior Football Club said they couldn’t comment on the charges facing their president before getting legal advice.
A committee member confirmed, however, that they were unaware of Ms Murphy’s charges until they were contacted by the Herald Sun.
The website still has Ms Murphy listed as the club’s president.
Shine Lawyers in Pakenham, where Ms Murphy is now employed, also didn’t want to comment when contacted.
“Shine Lawyers is aware of Ms Murphy’s legal matter,” they said. “We understand that she is legally represented. We cannot comment while the matter is before the courts.”
Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said he wanted the case wrapped up as there had been multiple adjournments up to this point.
At Wednesday’s committal mention lawyers for Ms Murphy said an “offer had been made to resolve” the matter.
Ms Murphy will return to court on for a further committal mention on April 9.
Originally published as Audit reveals years of alleged fraud by Berwick Junior Football Club president Kate Murphy
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