Pregnant fraudster to give birth in Alice Springs jail after being sentenced to 5 years’ jail

A PREGNANT fraudster who stole almost half a million dollars from her employer to spend on her lifestyle is due to give birth in jail next week after being sentenced to a lengthy prison term.

Marley Veness, 27, pleaded guilty to stealing $486,055 from Alice Springs Helicopters over two-and-a-half years. Picture: Emma Murray

A PREGNANT fraudster who stole almost half a million dollars from her employer is due to give birth in the Alice Springs jail next week after being sentenced to a lengthy prison term.

Marlee Dawn Veness, 27, pleaded guilty to stealing $486,055 from Alice Springs Helicopters over two-and-a-half years, during which she made 147 transactions from company accounts into her own bank accounts.

A heavily pregnant Marlee Veness leaving the Alice Springs Supreme Court after her guilty plea last week.

Veness who is due to give birth on Saturday next week was sentenced to five years and three months in jail with half of that time under a non-parole period.

She was also ordered to pay back an outstanding $253,362.

Acting Justice Anthony Graham said Veness “betrayed” her employers who welcomed her into their homes as if she was part of their own family.

“It’s not just stealing money. She betrayed their trust in a heartless and prolonged way,” he said.

Veness worked as a personal assistant and used an accounting program to “disguise” bank transactions between 2014 and 2017.

Pilots lost their jobs and the company fell into debt and owed a significant amount of money to the Australian Tax Office as a result of the offending.

Veness spent the stolen money on lifestyle goods including horses while her employers and their families suffered from debt and stress.

“While all this was going on, the offender was lavishly spending on herself,” Justice Graham said.

Company directors Warwick Curr and James Griffiths said they are happy the judge sent a strong message

A psychiatric report suggested Veness was suffering from mental health issues however Justice Graham said she felt sorry for herself.

“This report indicates she probably suffers from an adjustment disorder associated with her current legal predicament. In other words, she is sorry for herself.”

Outside court, company directors Warwick Curr and James Griffiths told the NT News they were happy the judge sent a strong message.

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“This sends a clear message to people who are committing these crimes … it’s been devastating for our children but it’s also affected a part of the community,” Mr Curr said.

Mr Griffiths said he is hoping Alice Springs Helicopters will be more involved in the community as it continues to recover.

“The collateral damage is still ongoing for us. We hope to get involved in supporting local events like we used to,” he said.

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Despite having a clean criminal record and being found suitable for a suitable for supervision in a suspended sentence, Justice Graham said jail time was necessary.