A woman has avoided actual jail time for defrauding Centrelink of almost $50,000.
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Isabel Jane Chisholm Polley, 26, pleaded guilty in the Launceston Magistrates Court to one count of obtaining a financial advantage.
Polley's parents, former Tasmanian Parliament speaker Michael Polley and former Northern Midlands mayor Kim Polley, who were in court on Thursday, paid back the defrauded money.
From August 2013 to March 2016, Polley earned about $157,000 but only declared about $9000, receiving $47,984 from Centrelink during that time.
The court heard the money was not used to fund a “lavish lifestyle”, instead Polley felt compelled to give money to her “demanding” former partner.
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Magistrate Sharon Cure said it was a serious example of obtaining a financial advantage, but she took into account that Polley was in an abusive and violent relationship with a “drug addict” at the time of the offending.
Photos and an audio recording of the abuse were provided to the court.
Polley’s early guilty plea and her unlikeliness to reoffend were taken into account for sentencing, Magistrate Cure said.
Polley has a payment plan in place to repay the money to her parents.
Based on the offence happening over a “long period” and it being a “substantial amount of money”, Magistrate Cure said a jail term was warranted.
Polley started crying when Magistrate Cure said she was convicted and sentenced to six months’ jail.
But the magistrate said Polley would not spend actual time in jail provided she be of good behaviour for three years.
The tears were quickly followed by hugs with her family members who were in the back of the courtroom.