Athena Murray aka Brown pleads not guilty to various Centrelink frauds from 2009 to 2017
A Tasmanian woman accused of defrauding the government for almost a decade by claiming Centrelink benefits for a daughter that never existed will fight her charges. What police allege >
Tasmania
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tasmania. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Tasmanian woman accused of defrauding the government for almost a decade by claiming Centrelink benefits for a daughter that never existed will fight her charges.
Athena Murray, who also goes by the surname of Brown, was extradited from Cairns in Far North Queensland after she was arrested on a Tasmanian-issued warrant on January 5 this year.
A warrant was sought for Ms Murray’s arrest in 2019 when she could not be located by authorities.
Murray’s charges include two counts of obtain financial advantage by deception, one count of wilfully make a false statement, make a false statement, two counts of make false statement in application, and one count of dishonestly influence a public official.
She has since pleaded not guilty to each of the charges against her.
According to court documents, police allege that on or about July 17, 2009, Murray wilfully made a false statement where she falsely claimed in a statutory declaration to have given birth to a child named Hayley Maree Murray on almost three months prior.
It is further alleged that in the eight years between August 25, 2009 and November 8, 2017 at Devonport and Sheffield, Tasmania and Airlie Beach in Queensland, Murray claimed the Family Tax benefit and Baby Bonus for the “fictional child”.
The documents allege Murray on or about December 11, 2012 then submitted a Medicare enrolment application for the child to be listed on her own Medicare card.
In 2013 at Scamander, Murray is also alleged to have made a statement in which she claimed that she did not have an “interest in a trust” in connection with a claim for Youth Allowance despite allegedly “knowing that statement was false”.
While in Queensland between January 2016 to August 2017, Murray allegedly made a claim for a Carers Allowance and Carer Supplement for caring for a Margery Watson.
Police allege Murray had not actually cared for Ms Watson during that time.
On or about April 12, 2017 it is alleged that Murray claimed she was not “and had not been involved in a private trust” and that she was “not involved in any type of business inside Australia” to the Department of Human Services – while allegedly knowing that statement was false.
Her final charge alleges that Murray submitted a rent certificate where she claimed to live at an Austins Ferry address “with the intention of dishonestly influencing a public official”.
Murray will next appear back in court later this month.
Council attitude to Hobart homeless “hostile”, activists say
A group of activists say the City of Hobart has been “hostile” towards homeless people, at a time when many are doing it tough. Here’s why they removed fencing around heritage trees.
Peking Duk announce surprise Hobart show
It is a bit of a risk announcing a show only a few weeks out, but that does not matter when you are Peking Duk. Where and when the electronic duo are playing.