A PINJARRA woman will spend at least the next six months in jail after being sentenced in Mandurah Magistrates Court on Tuesday to two counts of Centrelink fraud.
Marnie Lee Reckwell was charged with obtaining a financial advantage after helping her husband claim close to $60,000 the family was not entitled to from 2011-2013.
The court heard Reckwell had lodged false claims to the Government department and stated her husband was not employed.
During the charge period, the couple failed to declare $136,518.90.
Reckwell’s husband was only recently released from prison after serving six months on similar charges.
Magistrate Vivien Edwards said courts took a dim view of such behaviour which placed a heavy burden on taxpayers.
“These offences are relatively easy to commit and can be difficult to detect,” she said.
The offences were uncovered by way of data matching between Centrelink and The Australian Taxation Office.
Reckwell cried as she was taken into custody.
She was sentenced to nine months imprisonment and made eligible for parole after six.
She must also repay her share of the outstanding Centrelink debt of $29,944.83.
