September 23, 2013
An employee who diverted a total of $577,699.31 from two Kingaroy businesses for her own use will spend 20 months in jail after pleading guilty to three charges in the District Court in Kingaroy today.
Susan Jane Wolski admitted misappropriating a total of $577,699.31 from her employers, Aussie Pork Suppliers and Aussie Land & Livestock, by:
- Overpaying wages to herself – $28,698
- Paying personal debts and on one occasion, paying for a holiday – $150,343.35
- Making mortgage payments or by paying money into her own personal accounts – $398,657.96
Crown Prosecutor Victoria Trafford-Walker told the court the offences occurred between July 6, 2005, and November 20, 2008, but were not detected until early 2010.
She described Wolski’s actions as a “terrible betrayal of friends”.
Judge David Searles said the offences were pre-meditated and showed a degree of sophistication.
He said an aggravating factor was that the principals of the two companies were friends of Wolski.
“It was a serious breach of trust,” he said.
Judge Searles said there was no evidence the funds would ever be available for repayment.
Victim impact statements were tendered to the court.
Judge Searles said these detailed the “devastating impact” that Wolski’s conduct had wrought upon members of the families involved, some of whom had known her since childhood.
Retirement plans for one had been dashed with superannuation funds ploughed back into the business to keep it afloat.
Another statement pointed out that the money taken had not been from profits but from loans and overdrafts which had left a crippling debt which still had to be paid off.
The judge said he accepted that Wolski had not used the money to fund an extravagant lifestyle but rather to reduce her own debt.
He also accepted that she was genuinely remorseful, however he said he was bound when sentencing to consider the issue of deterrence, both to her personally and to other people in the community.
On the three charges, Judge Searles sentenced Wolski to two years’ jail, 3 1/2 years jail and five years’ jail, to be served concurrently.
The sentences will be suspended for five years after she serves 20 months.
Friends and family waved from the public gallery as Wolski was led from court by a police officer to begin her sentence behind bars.
At the same time, representatives from the two companies hit by the fraud – some of whom had been present at every court mention of the charges – filed silently from the courtroom.
