An office manager accused of manipulating payments and using a business’ credit card without authorisation was sentenced to 32 months in jail on Friday.
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Anna Jane Holder, 35, was convicted on five counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
Between September 2013 and February 2016 she stole $342,929.08 from Agland Industries, which operates Cootamundra’s Toyota and Holden dealers, as well as Temora Holden.
Payments from customers and to creditors were directed to Holder’s personal bank accounts, and as office manager, Holder’s personal mobile phone was placed on the business’ accounts.
Magistrate Michael O’Brien noted the prosecution’s submission that the thefts had occurred over two-and-a-half years.
He said it appeared Holder wanted to fulfil a life she didn’t have.
“It demonstrates the offender was not acting impulsively and her offending did involve an element of planning,” Mr O’Brien said.
“The possible motive was in part to service outstanding loans and to fund living expenses whilst at the same time receiving a salary from the same entity from which funds were fraudulently taken over a two-and-half year period.”
Mr O’Brien noted from Holder’s written submission in her defence, that she had made attempts to deal with the consequences of her actions, and sought help to deal with depression and anxiety.
“In that written discourse, the offender outlines, with complete candour the unhappy developments within her marriage and her subsequent struggle in grappling with those issues whilst at the same time raising two young boys in the face of financial difficulties that beset her family,” Mr O’Brien said.
“The offender accepts that as a result of her offending, her former employer suffered financially and was placed ‘under a lot of stress’ not to mention the impact it had on her immediate family and the wider Cootamundra community.”
Addressing Holder directly, Mr O’Brien urged her to put what had happened behind her.
“This is a very difficult time in your life, I want you to see this moment not as the beginning of the end, this is the start where you will re-engage,” Mr O’Brien said.
Mr O’Brien ordered Holder to repay $100,000 and noted a cheque for $98,000 had been tendered to the court.
Holder will be eligible for parole on November 5, 2019.
