Amy McGuinness, 37, pleads guilty to fraudulently obtaining thousands in government grants

Amy McGuinness of Timgarlen Avenue, Dubbo, appeared in court on March 2 and pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

Magistrate Aaron Tang noted that the 37-year-old's offence carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

"My concern is that she has taken away from the public, those who are in dire need of those funds... that's the purpose [the grants] are set up for," Mr Tang said.

Court documents reveal McGuinness was unemployed and a "self-confessed" drug user who used methamphetamine on a daily basis.

Police said she received government money from the NSW disaster relief scheme established to help people recover from the effects of tragedies and re-establish a basic standard of living. These grants related to various events including floods and the mouse plague in 2021.

Some grants involved Covid tests and payments given to people who were close contacts and unable to work due to isolation requirements. Another micro business grant was directed at business owners who had been directly affected by Covid restrictions during the pandemic.

None of these grants were available to those receiving Centrelink benefits.

The court heard McGuinness applied for these grants through online forms and submitted several documents to Service NSW. She provided identification, her phone number, a legitimate Australian Business Number and declared she was not receiving Centrelink payments. Large sums of money were then sent to her nominated bank account.

Between July 15, 2021 and February 19, 2022, police said McGuinness applied for a total of 60 NSW Service grants valued at $156,978. Of the 60 applications, she was successful in 23 and received $32,924 in payments.

As part of the grant processes, McGuinness had acknowledged she would be liable for prosecution should the applications be found fraudulent.

Police monitored and recorded a conversation where McGuinness discussed the frauds.

"I got one from the bank, three, and then this one, that's 10," she said. "I don't care if I go back to jail, I got 30 grand."

On March 2 this year, McGuinness also pleaded guilty to supplying a prohibited drug between 12am on December 5, 2021 and 12pm on January 31, 2022 at Wongarbon. The court was told she "knowingly" supplied 39.25 grams of methamphetamine.

Additionally, she pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property on a separate occasion between 6.35pm and 7pm on February 8, 2022. The court heard she used her car to transport goods stolen by a co-accused and helped move the items in and out of a motel room in Dubbo.

McGuiness was arrested at her home on March 8, 2022. She spent 267 days in custody until she was granted bail on November 13, 2022.

Defence solicitor Zoe Huijer said her client had spent three months in a full-time "locked" rehab facility since being bailed. She said it counted as a "quasi period of custody" which could be taken into consideration.

Ms Huijer also told the court the 37-year-old mother "fell into drug use" as a result of past trauma, and that before 2021, she had a "prosocial lifestyle".

"She has the strong support of family. She was suffering through a difficult period in her life at the time of the offences. Her motive was related to her drug use, to sustain her drug use," Ms Huijer said.

"She indicated to me that at the time, her drug use had consumed her. Intravenous drug use was her first thought in the morning."

The solicitor said since her period of rehabilitation, McGuinness had relocated to Sydney to be with family.

"She plans to remain substance free, and to be away from negative peers. In Sydney, she hopes to gain employment next week, she has completed white card and traffic controlling cards," Ms Huijer said.

"Everything she has done since these offences... is in the right direction.

"Full-time imprisonment would send her backwards... [it] would diminish and destroy prospects of rehabilitation."

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Adam Corrigan said the amount of meth McGuinness supplied was "significant" and the fraud offences crossed the threshold for imprisonment.

However, noting the actions she took in custody and the length of time spent there, Sgt Corrigian conceded to an intensive correction order to help with rehabilitation.

"I give her great credit for all the rehabilitation she's done, but there needs to be some reparation for community," Mr Tang said.

He sentenced McGuinness to an aggregate imprisonment term of 12 months, expiring on March 1, 2024. She will serve the term by way of intensive correction in the community.

As part of her sentence, McGuinness was also ordered to participate in a drug treatment program, do 50 hours of community service, and no longer associate with the co-accused in the stolen property offence.