Alexander Greenaway behind bars after fraudulently stealing over $100k while working at Dubbo Westpac

Alexander Greenaway was convicted and sentenced to eight months imprisonment after stealing the money through over 205 transactions between April 2019 and August 2021.

The 27-year-old sat quietly when he appeared in Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday charged with a single count of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

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Supported by his mother, sister and partner, the court heard Greenaway - who was a personal banking specialist at the Dubbo Westpac branch - had stolen the money to feed his drug and alcohol habit.

In a report tendered to the court, Magistrate Greg Grogin revealed Greenaway said he was "terrified" before making his first fraudulent transaction in April 2019.

However Mr Grogin said that feeling must have subsided as he continued to repeatedly take money over the course of almost two years.

Westpac investigators were alerted to the fraudulent transactions in August 2021, when they received a complaint that funds had been taken from a client's account without their knowledge or permission.

It was immediately picked up that Greenaway had withdrawn those funds.

Initially CCTV footage and transaction history on private systems at Westpac revealed 44 transactions involving nine different customers had been made by Greenaway totalling $27,550.

On August 12, 2021, Greenaway was interviewed by Westpac investigators where he admitted to withdrawing money from client's accounts without their permission.

Following this interview the investigation team reviewed Greenaway's transactions between April 11, 2019 and July 30, 2021. This revealed a further 205 transactions that were fraudulently made.

Transactions between February 2020 and July 2021 were caught on CCTV showing Greenaway at a Westpac terminal with no clients present while he withdrew the money from the accounts.

Westpac investigators contacted Dubbo police to report the matter providing CCTV footage, the interview and their final investigation report detailing that $104,920 had been stolen from clients during this time.

The Westpac group reimbursed clients the full amount deducted by Greenaway, making the bank the sole victim in the matter.

Upon sentencing on Wednesday, defence lawyer David Hemsworth argued it was "exceedingly unsophisticated offending" and was not the average white collar crime, noting the offences arose out of Greenaway's mental ill health.

The court heard Greenaway had been diagnosed depression and anxiety, and currently had a mental health plan in place. Mr Hemsworth said his client had strong prospects of rehabilitation and had since moved to Newcastle where he now works in retail.

Mr Hemsworth said while it was conceded the offences arose out of a breach of trust through his position, Greenaway had over the years begun taking MDMA and the occasional cocaine in social settings, while also dabbling in gambling.

However, he mentioned his client had been abstinent from drugs since August 2021, and alcohol more recently.

Given the steps Greenaway had taken since, and his "palpable sense of guilt and shame", Mr Hemsworth said a lengthy intensive corrections order - a jail sentence served in the community - would assist in ensuring he remains on the path of rehabilitation.

However Magistrate Grogin disagreed it was unsophisticated, noting opportunistic offending doesn't happen over 205 times saying it was done purely for financial gain.

"Some may say the loss off money would be a drop in the ocean, but its not. It's a loss of a large amount of money over a series of criminal acts," Mr Grogin said.

The court heard Greenaway had since lost his job at the bank.

Greenaway was sentenced to a 15 month term of imprisonment, however with a finding of special circumstances, given his strong family support, age, lack of criminal record and prospects of rehabilitation, was given a non-parole period of eight months.

He was also ordered to pay $104,920 in compensation to Westpac.

Immediately after Greenaway was escorted into custody, Mr Hemsworth made a severity appeal against the jail sentence handed down. This will be heard before the district court at a later date.