Former meat business bookkeeper jailed after haemorrhaging money for gambling habit

A woman who defrauded a beloved family meat business of $420,000 will spend time behind bars.

A woman who defrauded a beloved family meat business of $420,000 will spend time behind bars.

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

Acting Justice Brian Martin said when Kendall became the company’s sole bookkeeper and her gambling problem worsened, she siphoned money out of the company account via electronic transfer into her daughter’s account, unbeknown to her daughter.

On July 20 and 30, 2018 she made two transactions totalling $2037. She used the name of a creditor of the business to appear legitimate.

She made three fraudulent transactions to her daughter’s account between July 31, 2018 and January 21, 2019, and between August 2018 and April last year she made 104 transactions to her own account worth $391,509.08.

“Your fraudulent scheme began to unravel in 2020,” Acting Justice Martin said.

The then owner Philip “Robbo” Robinson was retiring and noticed a “significant discrepancy” in expected debt. He asked his brother to conduct an audit.

Kendall acted oblivious, but once the owner and auditor confronted her in May last year about the suspicious transactions, she explained she had a gambling habit.

“You cried and admitted the account was yours,” Acting Justice Martin said.

“You said you would pay the money back and you did not want your husband to find out what you had done.”

From then until she was arrested two months later, Kendall paid back $73,000 via funds from her husband and a $20,000 loan her daughter had taken out.

Kendall told police she was living beyond her means spending money on food, cosmetics, clothing and “the machines”.

Acting Justice Martin said her crimes had a “devastating” impact on Mr Robinson, who lost some $150,000 on the business sale.

The company is in liquidation.

Supreme Court of Tasmania, Salamanca Place. Picture: Richard Jupe for NCA Newswire.

“ (Mr Robinson) had worked hard all his life since he left school at the age of 15 … to become a butcher,” Acting Justice Martin said.

“Your fraudulent conduct was a serious abuse of the trust the employer placed in you.

Acting Justice Martin made a compensation order of $347,849.18 for the business.

He sentenced Kendall to three years imprisonment, which will be suspended after she serves six months, and 100 hours community service.

“I make it very clear that it is your prior good character, your acceptance of responsibility and your prospects for the future which have led me to exercise significant leniency in only requiring you to serve a period of six months,” he said.

Mr Robinson – known for his Tassie TV ads with the popular catchphrase “Wow Robbo” – told the Mercury he hoped for a longer jail sentence.

The 73-year-old said he lived on the old age pension and struggled with basic costs like heating his home.

“I had plans for retirement to have a bit of a break rather than start work in the early hours of the morning,” he said.

“This threw a spanner in the works.”