Norlane’s Lily McKenzie pleads guilty to fraud charges in County Court

A Norlane woman’s extensive personal expenses were laid bare in court after she defrauded the tax office of $150,000.

Norlane woman Lily McKenzie fronted the County Court in Melbourne on Wednesday. Picture: Facebook

A Norlane woman defrauded the tax office almost $150,000 by lodging false documents.

Lily McKenzie, 24, appeared at the County Court in Melbourne via video link from Dame Phyllis Frost Centre on Wednesday.

She previously pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and two counts of attempting to dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

Court documents reveal McKenzie dishonestly obtained $147,466 in GST refunds and tried to obtain a further $58,111.

In May 2021, McKenzie registered an ABN for a business she described as a “disability support service to parents of disabled children”.

Between December 15, 2021 and March 24, 2022, six business activity statements (BAS) were lodged where McKenzie reported false financial records.

A GST refund of $22,545 was deposited into her NAB account on December 21, 2021.

A second refund of $124,921 was deposited into her Bendigo Bank account on January 2, 2022.

Norlane woman Lily McKenzie. Picture: Facebook

Analysis of the accounts showed “a significant number of money transfers” to her other accounts and various people.

“The remaining transactions were for personal expenditure such as everyday living, food, holiday bookings, Uber and other payments,” documents state.

“There were no transactions consistent with business expenditure, such as wages paid to employees, vehicle expenditure or bookkeeping and accountant fees.”

McKenzie lodged a further four BAS between April and May, 2022.

A review by the tax office found the amounts she reported were incorrect and there was no evidence she was running a business.

Her ABN and GST registrations were cancelled on May 31, 2022.

McKenzie, who was 21-years-old at the time of the offending, made no comments during a police interview on April 13, 2023.

The matter was previously listed for a plea hearing in November last year however she did not show up to court.

Her lawyer, barrister Maddy Grant, confirmed her client had been arrested by police in central Geelong the morning of the hearing and she did “intend to travel to Melbourne” to be in court.

Ms Grant said McKenzie was arrested on January 10 and has spent 47 days in custody.

“She has used that time effectively and meaningfully,” she said.

“She has engaged in work in the kitchens and now in the garden area.”

Ms Grant said her client was engaging with therapeutic services while in custody.

Judge Pardeep Tiwana will sentence McKenzie next week.

Originally published as Norlane’s Lily McKenzie pleads guilty to fraud charges in County Court