Philip ‘Robbo’ Robinson’s former bookkeeper will spend at least three times longer than first thought behind bars

A woman who gambled away $420,000 from Philip “Robbo” Robinson’s former meat company will have to spend far longer in jail than first thought. FULL JUDGMENT >>

A woman who gambled away $420,000 from Philip “Robbo” Robinson’s former meat company while she was a bookkeeper will have to spend far longer in jail than she thought.

Cheryl Ann Kendall, 59, appeared before the Supreme Court of Tasmania on Thursday afternoon amid an appeal of her jail sentence over three counts of computer related fraud against P. J. Robinson Pty Ltd, which ASIC documents reveal traded as Robbo’s Chicken and Meat.

Kendall was sentenced on August 24 to three years imprisonment, with two years and six months of that suspended for two years, but the Director of Public Prosecutions argued before the court on October 6 the sentence handed down by Acting Justice Brian Martin was “manifestly inadequate”.

Butcher Philip “Robbo” Robinson at his home in Rosetta after the sentencing of Cheryl Ann Kendall who defrauded over $400,000 from his former business. Picture: Richard Jupe

At the time, DPP Daryl Coates SC said the fraud had a severe impact on Philip “Robbo” Robinson, who had owned P.J. Robinson Pty Ltd.

“The complainant has been extremely hardworking all his life, he’s built this business up, it’s had a good reputation, he’s been very proud of his employees and his relationship with them,” Mr Coates said.

“As a result of the criminal conduct of the respondent the complainant has destroyed him financially at a time when he was about to retire.”

Butcher Philip “Robbo” Robinson at his home in Rosetta after the sentencing of Cheryl Ann Kendall who defrauded over $400,000 from his former business. Picture: Richard Jupe

On Thursday, Chief Justice Alan Blow handed down the decision made by him and Justices Robert Pearce and Shane Marshall.

He said Kendall’s initial sentence of three years, of which she was ordered to serve six months, had been “manifestly inadequate”.

Chief Justice Blow changed Kendall’s sentence to four years imprisonment backdated to August 24, suspended for 12 months.

Philip "Robbo" Robinson formerly from Robbo's Chicken and Meat shares his struggle after his former business was defrauded of $420,000. A still image from a TV advertisement. Source: YOUTUBE.

He said she would not be eligible for parole until she had served 18 months behind bars, and ordered her to repay compensation to P.J. Robinson of more than $370,000 within 28 days. Outside the courtroom, an emotional Philip Robinson and his sister Janice Bryan told the Mercury they were glad to see a harsher penalty, but the financial and emotional strain was ongoing.

Mr Robinson thanked the public for their support.

“The industry is a hard industry, but there’s some good people in it,” he said.