Worker admits to stealing $36,000

A SOUTHERN Tasmanian woman who stole $36,000 from the company she had worked at for about 21 years did so because she was struggling to make ends meet, a court has heard.

Janelle Kay Smith, 40, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Hobart yesterday to one count of computer-related fraud.

Crown prosecutor Jane Ansell said Smith had worked at Kingston company Powercom as a finance manager for about 21 years. The court heard a number of payments that should have been made into Powercom’s account were received instead by Smith.

Ms Ansell said the payments were made between March 1, 2017, and July 10 last year for differing amounts, totalling $36,801.38.

She said Powercom was a family business owned by a husband and wife team who employed their daughter and their son-in-law. Ms Ansell said after the payments were discovered by the owners’ daughter and Smith was asked about them, she resigned.

Smith’s husband, who had worked at Powercom for five years, was also asked about the payments but said he did not know anything about them. He also resigned his position.

The fraud was reported to police on September 26 last year.

Smith’s lawyer Cameron Scott said his client had offered “sincere apologies” to her employers when she resigned and was making arrangements to pay the money back.

“The remorse she has shown is genuine and it was indicated at an early stage,” Mr Scott said.

Mr Scott said Smith’s family fell on difficult financial times in 2012 and were increasingly in debt by the time Smith defrauded Powercom.

He said none of the money was spent on a lavish lifestyle.

“It really went on cost of living type expenses,” he said.

Justice Wood ordered a report to consider non-custodial sentence options and remanded Smith on bail for sentence on October 14.