Former bank manager jailed for $500,000 fraud

A former Tauranga bank manager has been jailed for defrauding her employers of more than half a million dollars.

Shona Bullen, 47. a National Bank mobile manager, fraudulently loaded mortgages worth $515,000 on to and then drew down on her father's account.

In Tauranga District Court Bullen was jailed for two and half years by Judge Louis Bidois, the Bay of Plenty Times reported.

She earlier admitted eight charges each of accessing a computer for dishonest purposes and false accounting.

The court was told that Bullen was employed at National Bank in Tauranga between November 2003 and May 2008, initially as a mobile mortgage manager.

In August 2007 she was promoted to the role of regional manager for mobile mortgage managers for the Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Hawke's Bay and Manawatu areas.

She had authority to use the bank's computer system to load and approve mortgages to bank customers using her personal log-in details.

But she had no authority to load or approve loans or carry out any transactions on family members' accounts.

The full extent of her fraud came to light in May last year and Bullen's employment was terminated.

Crown prosecutor Hayley Derrick said Bullen had repaid $241,000 to the bank but was unable to pay the outstanding $274,000.

Bullen's lawyer, Paul Mabey QC, told Judge Bidois that while Bullen's fraud was a serious matter, all the money went to support her ill parents, her three children who all suffered debilitating illnesses resulting in mounting medical bills, and a "demanding and volatile former husband".

- NZPA