SkyCity fraudster gets parole
A Waikato woman who stole more than $2.7 million from her Hamilton employers due to ‘‘greed’’ will be released on parole this month.
Tessa Grant took about $1.99m from SkyCity Entertainment Group and $795,000 from Waikato Diocesan School for Girls.
The money she took was spent on items including jewellery, a property, and ‘‘equestrian-related expenses’’.
Once discovered, she pleaded guilty to fraud charges and was sentenced in September 2017 to seven years and eight months in prison. In 2018, that was reduced to six years.
Grant was denied parole in her first appearance in September but reappeared before the parole board on February 3.
The parole board report states it was made clear that the main cause of Grant’s offending was greed.
The board took into account a variety of information before it, including oral submissions by counsel, a board report and a full psychological report.
While in prison, Grant was described as consistently positive, she attended the Kowhiritanga Programme, which targets the attitudes and behaviours that contribute to offending and teaches skills and new ways of thinking.
The board noted that Grant had paid reparation in full to both Waikato Diocesan and SkyCity.
Grant took money from SkyCity by methods including paying personal expenses with company cheques, taking petty cash, and falsifying invoices.
About $425,000 went into a horse arena at her property and another $477,000 on ‘‘equestrian-related expenses’’. The offending began in late 2008 and still had not been discovered when she left the company in July 2014.
She then moved to Waikato Diocesan where her offending included altering invoices ‘‘and making resulting payments to herself’’, and spending on her school credit card.
The money went on items including a Hamilton property worth about $900,000 and $55,900 in jewellery, and she resigned before an employment investigation could be finished.
The parole board said there would always be an element of risk, however it did not believe Grant presented an undue risk to the safety of the community and authorised her release for this month.
Where Grant would be released to was withheld but she has the support of her family.
Her release on parole does come with special conditions that are considered necessary to meet the issues of risk.
They will continue for the duration of her parole which is through to September 10, 2023.
Grant is not to engage in any employment or have any role in the affairs of any business, trust, company or other entity without the permission of her probation officer.
She also cannot be involved in the handling of money, provision of advice or management of the financial accounts or transactions, of any person or entity, unless she has prior written approval of a probation officer.
Grant also has to notify the probation officer should she start or change her position or place of employment.
Grant is not to enter the premises of SkyCity Hamilton or Waikato Diocesan School.
She is also not to have contact or associate with any victim of her offending.
Grant is required to attend a psychological assessment, and participate in and complete any recommended treatment as directed by a probation officer.
She could also be subjected to drug and alcohol testing.