Renee Ferguson cops home detention after Cricket Tasmania thefts, avoids jail time

The woman at the centre of the Tim Paine sexting scandal was staring down the barrel of jail time over unrelated stealing charges – but a Hobart magistrate has delivered a twist of fate. DETAILS >>

Renee Ferguson arrives at the Hobart Magistrates Court before sentencing. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

RENEE Ferguson has avoided time in jail for her high-profile thefts from Cricket Tasmania, but will be forced to remain in the state for the coming eight months under home detention.

Ferguson infamously made headlines when she became embroiled in a sexting scandal with Tim Paine - ultimately leading to the former Australia test cricket captain’s resignation.

The 49-year-old was facing the serious prospect of time in jail over her unrelated stealing charges because she’d previously stolen almost $30,000 from a past employer, a specialist medical centre.

Ferguson was given a 12-month suspended sentence for that offending, which wouldn’t be activated unless she committed another imprisonable offence within two years.

But she stole from Cricket Tasmania just months later.

On Wednesday, Chief Magistrate Catherine Geason said she decided it would be unjust to activate the suspended sentence and send Ferguson to prison.

Instead, she made out a substituted sentence, and ordered Ferguson spend the coming eight months under home detention “in the south of the state”.

Ms Geason said she understood the sentence would be “onerous” given Ferguson was in the process of rebuilding her life, in Victoria, where she was employed at a motor inn.

Renee Ferguson arrives at the Hobart Magistrates Court. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

She noted that before the offending, Ferguson had gone through a marriage separation and described Cricket Tasmania as a “toxic workplace”, with her mental health poor at the time.

Ms Geason also said Ferguson had been the subject of “intense media attention” and as a result, left Tasmania in order to reduce the impact on her two teenage sons.

“I take into account you have pleaded guilty to the charges although it is very late in the proceedings,” she said.

Initially charged with 62 counts of stealing and two counts of dishonestly acquiring a financial advantage while she worked as a Cricket Tasmania receptionist, Ferguson ultimately pleaded guilty in February to the dishonesty charges but only 10 counts of stealing.

The thefts related to $5600 worth of cash and memberships she stole while working as a Cricket Tasmania administrative assistant while working at Bellerive’s Blundstone Arena.

Despite being charged back in 2017, Ferguson’s case has been encumbered by ongoing delays thanks to her repeated failures to appear in court, and repeated changes of plea and lawyers.

Ferguson, who dabbed her eyes with a tissue while being sentenced in the Hobart Magistrates Court, will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device while serving her home detention.

She must remain at the address at all times other than in the event of an urgent situation or emergency.

She was also ordered to pay $285.60 in court costs and more than $200 in a victims of crime levy.

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