Michelle Lorna Forkin, 27, appeared before Magistrate Howard Hamilton in Dubbo Local Court yesterday charged with two counts of receiving financial advantage from a Commonwealth entity.

Forkin had pleaded guilty to the charges at an earlier court appearance.

According to facts tendered to the court, Forkin was overpaid an amount totalling $13,023.76 over a period of time spanning throughout late 2006, 2007 and part of 2008.

The young mother had been receiving the parenting payment but had not been declaring the full income she had been earning from work at a local cafe.

Forkin’s defence solicitor told the court yesterday her client had suffered a significant amount of trauma after her son and nephews were killed in a house fire in West Dubbo in 2004.

Since then Forkin had been battling depression as well as physical ailments caused as a result of the fire.

The court was also told that she had been repaying Centrelink but still owed about $9500.

A pre-sentence report prepared by the Probation and Parole Service outlined that Forkin knew she was receiving more benefits than she was entitled to but had since come regret her actions.

Magistrate Hamilton told Forkin that while her circumstances were tragic, they were no reason to defraud Centrelink.

“Whatever your personal circumstances are, Centrelink funds are not there to supplement your income,” he said.

Forkin was sentenced with a seven-month suspended jail term on the condition she supply a $1000 bond.