Mother of four jailed over $51,000 benefit fraud

File photo / NZ Herald

A Rotorua mother of four who netted $51,000 through benefit fraud has been sent to jail for a year.

Margaret Doreen Heta, 46, a sickness beneficiary, appeared in Rotorua District Court today for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to a charge of misleading a Ministry of Social Development officer and two charges of using a document to gain a pecuniary advantage.

Judge James Weir told the court Heta had received $51,000 in benefits over a four-year-old period to which she was not entitled as she was living in a marriage-type relationship.

Heta had initially pleaded not guilty and a trial was held last October.

On the third day of the trial Heta pleaded guilty to three charges.

Heta's lawyer Rob Vigor Brown said a reparation order had not been sought as Heta was already paying $20 a week via an automatic payment.

After Judge Weir told the court it would take Heta 50 years to repay the money at that rate, Mr Vigor Brown said she could realistically pay back the money at $50 a week.

In court today, Heta apologised for the fraud.

"I apologise to society... I'm willing to comply with what your honour sees fit to sentence me too."

Heta asked for leniency from the judge, saying she did not have anyone to take care of her four children.

Judge Weir said that apart from some part-time work, Heta had been receiving benefits for 27 years. He said her offending was pre-planned.

Judge Weir said a pre-sentence report in which the probation officer said Heta had showed no remorse and had talked about having a sense of entitlement to the benefit was an accurate assessment.

Judge Weir said Heta had the care of four children and had two grandchildren but she had extended whanau.

Mr Vigor Brown asked that Heta be sentenced to home detention and community work but Judge Weir said that given Heta's attitude, home detention was not available to her.