Jailed swindler's name stays secret | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

A judge's decision to name a convicted fraudster, who enjoyed the thrill of juggling multiple loans while racking up $177,000 in finance company funds - has been stalled after her lawyer appealed against her prison sentence and got name suppression reinstated.

The 45-year-old Masterton woman is in custody after being sentenced in the Masterton District Court yesterday to 18 months in prison on multiple convictions of skimming $177,464 from various finance companies from 2006 to 2008 by forging her husband's signature and funnelling money into her 12-year-old son's bank account.

In sentencing, Judge Jan Kelly told the court how the woman had described her overseas upbringing as "privileged" and that she had been "indulged as a child".

She told a probation officer her "father was an alcoholic and would be abusive but, to make it up to you, he would lavish you with gifts".

A psychiatrist had described the fraud as stemming from an "impulse disorder rather than addiction".

The woman also said she got "mental stimulation from juggling all the repayments" and was depressed and had struggled to adjust to rural life after moving to Wairarapa eight years ago.

Judge Kelly told the woman her decision to deny final name suppression was in the interests of transparent reporting and that the starting point for her deliberation must be "freedom of speech and an open judicial system".

Defence lawyer Jock Blathwayt's argument that the woman's husband and their teenage daughter would be negatively affected by publication was dismissed by Judge Kelly - as were his arguments that naming her could jeopardise her mental health and lead to suicidal thoughts and self-harm.

Judge Kelly said the woman's mental health issues would be dealt with adequately in prison.

She said distress and embarrassment for both the defendant and her family were usual outcomes of a serious conviction and that defence objections raised "nothing out of the ordinary".

"The balance comes down in favour of open reporting ... the same approach should be taken to all those who appear in court and no preference should be given to those prominent in the community," Judge Kelly said.

However, the case will now go to the High Court at Wellington after Mr Blathwayt appealed against the prison sentence and the lifting of name suppression. He was unsuccessful in his bid to have the woman released from custody pending the High Court date. Earlier she had pleaded guilty to eight counts of obtaining by deception for pecuniary advantage from GE Money, Diners Club and American Express.

Her offending began in September 2006 when she took out a $10,000 personal loan in her husband's name on his Diners Club credit card after fraudulently signing his name. She deposited the money in the couple's joint bank account, which was not monitored by her husband.

In January 2008, she repeated the Diners Club fraud, this time depositing another $10,000 loan into her personal bank account.

In February 2007, she went to GE Money and asked for a loan of $21,425, again fraudulently signing her husband's name but this time faxing his bank statements, driver's licence and payslips to back up the scam.

In June 2007, she was issued with an American Express gold credit card on which she racked up $46,000 after again forging her husband's signature.

She went back to GE Money in November 2008, this time asking for $32,942, again forging her husband's signature.

This time she deposited the money in her 12-year-old son's bank account.

Using similar methods, she defrauded GE Money for the final time in March of last year to the tune of $41,085.

On separate occasions in 2007 and 2008 the woman got loans totalling $55,000 from her husband's pre-approved retirement plan with the Medical Assurance Society.

She was also ordered to pay reparation of $25,000.