Tennant Creek’s Deborah Cain has additional charges filed against her in latest court hearing

Fresh charges have been filed against a Tennant Creek woman who was last year awarded senior citizen of the year. Find out the latest from court.

Alice Springs Local Court. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Additional charges have been laid against a Tennant Creek woman and former senior citizen of the year recipient – who was already fighting fraud charges – at her latest court hearing.

Deborah Cain was initially charged with obtaining benefit by deception in 2023, but this masthead can reveal additional charges of forgery and knowingly utter a forged document have also been laid against her.

Tennant Creek's Deborah Cain is accused of falsifying her working with children checks.

She is now facing multiple charges including: eight counts of obtain benefit by deception; two counts of forgery; and four counts of knowingly utter a forged document.

No pleas have been entered to any of the charges.

Ms Cain is accused of allegedly falsifying working with children and police checks and was not present at the latest hearing.

The statement of facts alleges Ms Cain used the false checks to obtain high-paying positions – up to $110,00 per annum – at the Julalikari Aboriginal Corporation in 2020.

Additional charges against Ms Cain were first mentioned at a June 13 hearing in Alice Springs Local Court, however, it wasn’t until the August 22 hearing at the same court that the charges were listed.

Presided over by Judge Sarah McNamara, the court heard from Ms Cain’s defence lawyer Simon Lapinski, who sought an adjournment.

Julalikari Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Gerald Coffey said Ms Cain was no longer employed at the corporation.

Judge McNamara adjourned the matter to October 3, and excused Ms Cain from attending if she was legally represented.

Originally published as Tennant Creek’s Deborah Cain has additional charges filed against her in latest court hearing