Mackay school finance officer Hannah Rachel Evans jailed for Fitzgerald State School fraud

A Queensland mum has been branded a wannabe Robin Hood for claiming she misdirected school funds to help disadvantaged students.

Hannah Rachel Evans leaving the Mackay Magistrate's court on Thursday, May 29 after pleading guilty to committing fraud over two years while she was the finance officer at Fitzgerald State School.

A Mackay mum of two has been labelled a wannabe Robin Hood after she claimed she diverted money paid to the school where she worked to help disadvantaged students.

But Acting Magistrate Patricia Kirkman-Scroope did not buy that reason given Hannah Rachel Evans’ own children also benefited from the illegal payouts.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard Evans, 40, had been the finance officer at Fitzgerald State School when the offending occurred between December 2021 and December 2023 and totalled $10,444.37.

And since her arrest and first court appearance in mid 2024, zero has been paid back to the school.

As finance officer, Evans had access to the school’s Centrepay platform that handled payments for various activities and services with money paid by parents into the school’s account – she diverted funds totalling $7816.27 to the accounts of other students.

She also used the Qkr! app to channel $2628.10 into her own children’s accounts. As a result the school has had to reimburse parents the missing money.

“You’ve told your lawyer that was something of a … Robin Hood kind of intention for other disadvantaged families,” Ms Kirkman-Scroope said.

“I accept that’s what you told your lawyer but another view could be there were just so many transactions that it was to muddy the waters.

“I’m not placing a lot of weight on what you say your intentions were.”

Hannah Rachel Evans leaving the Mackay Magistrate's court on Thursday, May 29 after pleading guilty to committing fraud over two years while she was the finance officer at Fitzgerald State School.

Prosecutor Kat Pollard said this offending “breaches the trust of her employer”, pushing for a jail term of between 18 months to two years but conceding a non custodial sentence was open.

The court heard in May 2022 in the middle of the fraud offending Evans also stole $1182 worth of products from Spotlight – she just placed items in a trolley and left without paying. She pleaded guilty, was fined $500 and ordered to pay $929 restitution.

Ms Kirkman-Scroope highlighted that Evans already had the embarrassment of going to court and “one might have thought she’s stop what she’s doing”.

Defence solicitor Antoinette Morton, of Fisher Dore Lawyers, said the offending was committed against a background of stressors that included ongoing anxiety and depression, as well as relationship and family issues.

Ms Morton further argued the majority of the money did not benefit Evans or her family, as she submitted for 12-18 months wholly suspended.

“The remainder … did not benefit my client in anyway,” she said.

“She was transferring onto children’s accounts within the school to enable them to attend to school-based activities which caused financial hardship on their families.

“As the finance officer she was the person who had to chase up funds and had to advise other parents that their children could no participate in these activities.”

The court heard Evans was placed on leave following her arrest and her job was terminated in November 2024.

Evans pleaded guilty to one count of fraud against the Department of Education.

The court heard the mum had a mental health plan and had gone to a psychologist six times, but Ms Kirkman-Scroope said there was no record suggesting this had happened and raised concern Evans had no concrete plan in place.

Ms Kirkman-Scroope said it was also difficult why Evans did not proactively get help after her court appearance for stealing. She jailed Evans for 15 months with immediate parole release. A conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Mackay school finance officer Hannah Rachel Evans jailed for Fitzgerald State School fraud