A pressured accountant who turned to poker equipment as an escape stole just about $two million from her employer to feed her habit, a courtroom has been advised.
Just after hitting difficult periods, Sandra Balfour, 67, transferred dollars from a Brisbane car or truck vendor in a 'large amount of discreet transactions' ranging from $100 to additional than $10,000 from 2010 to 2018.
But as an alternative of Balfour enjoying a lavish life-style, the dollars went 'straight into pokies', defence barrister Matthew Hynes reported.
Balfour turned to gambling right after battling to cope with out of the blue starting to be the sole bread winner and carer for her spouse in 2010, Brisbane District Courtroom read.
Her partner dropped his work and was not able to work owing to a clinical situation, getting frustrated and turning to alcoholic beverages.
Sandra Balfour (pictured arriving at the Brisbane District Court docket on Wednesday) was sentenced to eight a long time jail immediately after siphoning her automobile supplier boss from 2010 to 2018
'Gambling was an escape for her,' Mr Hynes claimed of Balfour, a Scottish citizen who now faces deportation.
'This is not a scenario of a person living a greedy, lavish way of life.nnShe is feeding her habit - it was require, not greed.
'It was a good dependancy.'
Balfour began siphoning cash from the car dealer in June 2010, using a lot more than $one.eight million right up until she was caught in early 2018.
An investigation was launched after a customer complained they had not obtained a payment from the car seller and it was learned the cash had been transferred to Balfour's account.
She had used a further employee's log-in facts to crank out a payment from the car supplier ahead of authorising it herself.
Transactions were produced underneath generic descriptions to keep away from scrutiny ahead of she was arrested in June 2018 and later on released on bail.
Her spouse - who died of most cancers in 2021 - pleaded with her not to touch a poker device once again following her release, Mr Hynes said.
'She has retained that guarantee,' he reported.
Balfour commenced operate at the automobile dealership in October 1993 just months immediately after pleading guilty to twelve counts of fraudulent and bogus accounting when she 'overpaid herself' $33,000, getting a three-12 months jail phrase which was immediately suspended, the court docket heard.
Ms Balfour's defence barrister said she was ensnared in a gambling addiction
She arrived in Australia in 1982 but is however a Scottish citizen.
Judge Paul Smith factored in the 'hardship' Balfour faced pursuing her jail term when pinpointing her sentence.
Balfour is envisioned to have her visa cancelled under the migration act and be deported pursuing her release from jail.
She had no task prospective customers or close friends in Scotland and her only remaining connection to her homeland - a nation she experienced not frequented in extra than a decade - was an unwell, younger brother, Mr Hynes stated.
'Hardship issues have been pointed out.nnYour link to Scotland is nearly non existent ... (but) this is a important breach of rely on,' Judge Smith claimed.
He also factored in Balfour providing to spend about $900,000 to solve ongoing, connected civil action before sentencing.
With her son looking on, Balfour was sentenced to 8 years' jail on a person rely of fraud as an personnel valued at $100,000 or additional.
She will be suitable for parole in April 2024.