A Newnham woman who stole more than $21,000 from her employer has been remanded in custody while a Judge decides what sentence to impose.
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Bank statements revealed the money Emma Louise Wilson, 28, took from Dickens Constructions was used to pay off her credit card debt and buy new clothes, meals at restaurants and holidays on the mainland.
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Wilson pleaded guilty to a string of of fraud-related charges and appeared in the Launceston Supreme Court on Friday.
The court heard Wilson worked as an office administrator for the St Leonards business for five years until October 2019, after a staff member discovered her deceptive conduct.
During a three-year period she used document editing software to create fake invoices that looked the same as previous real invoices the business paid.
Wilson changed dates, amounts and invoice numbers, resulting in a cumulative sum of $21,000 in deposits being made into her Commonwealth Bank account.
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A managing director at Dickens Constructions discovered one of Wilson's illegitimate invoices in August last year.
The discovery led to a review which found money had been unlawfully transferred from Dickens Constructions to Wilson's bank account 50 times.
In court defence lawyer Grant Tucker tendered a psychologist's report and references from Wilson's sister and future in-laws.
Mr Tucker told the court a psychologist suggested Wilson was mentally impaired, suffered severe post traumatic stress and struggled with impulse control.
According to Mr Tucker, Wilson's behaviour was out of character and had caused her to delay her planned wedding.
"Clearly she cooperated with authorities," Mr Tucker said.
"She's unlikely to reoffend, she's no longer employed."
A conviction would impact Wilson's chance of getting a job in the future and she would find it difficult to pay Dickens Constructions back the stolen money, Mr Tucker told the court.
"It would seem that she is eligible ... for a home detention order," Mr Tucker said.
Justice Robert Pearce accepted Wilson was remorseful and noted she did not stop stealing until she was caught.
"I'm going to take some time to consider what I've been told," Justice Pearce told Wilson.
Wilson wept as she was told she would be remanded in custody until Justice Pearce hands down his sentence.
Family members and Wilson's partner became emotional as she was transferred into custody.
Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced next Wednesday.
