Farming family's trusted bookkeeper jailed for $2.8m fraud
A sentencing judge says Michelle Kathleen Lawson lived the high life, spending a quarter of a million dollars on clothing and shoes, while her employers battled natural disasters and a plant disease.
Michelle Kathleen Lawson, the trusted bookkeeper of the Johnston family, a farming family from Tully in Far North Queensland, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for defrauding them of nearly $2.8 million. Lawsons crimes spanned from 2017 to 2023, during which she abused her position to siphon funds from the Johnston family's businesses.
The District Court in Cairns heard that Lawson created fictitious employees and fabricated invoices to disguise her theft. She used tax records to get caught, after which she had $2.5 million of the stolen funds to spend on a lavish lifestyle. Judge Joshua Treviño KC described her spending as extremely lavish, which included buying horses, funding her children's education, paying personal insurance bills, and traveling.
Specifically, Lawson spent almost $1 million on retail expenditure, with $250,000 alone going towards clothing and shoes. A forensic investigation found missing $300,000, though it was noted that Lawson accepted the money was used to buy into a clothing boutique.
Judges pointed out that Lawson's use of the Johnston family's money to invest in other businesses, which could have yielded greater profits, exhibited a selfish and greedy attitude. Even though Lawson pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud, her psychological report indicated that remorse was not evident, a conclusion backed up by her guilty plea.
Lawson's lack of remorse and unwillingness to apologize directly to the Johnston family concerned the judge, who expressed that without insight into her offending, Lawson risks repeating her behavior should she ever find herself in a similar position of trust. The court heard emotional victim impact statements from the Johnston family, who suffered both financially and emotionally due to Lawson's actions. The fraud prevented them from buying neighboring farmland or hiring more staff.
Despite recovering $1.5 million through civil action, the Johnston family incurred additional legal fees and expenses of $500,000. The family, along with their supporters, filled the courtroom gallery for Lawson's plea and sentencing hearing. Lawson, appearing via video link from a prison in Townsville, nodded as she was sentenced. She will be eligible for parole in August 2028.
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