In sentencing Megan Griffen in Armidale Local Court on Monday Magistrate Karen Stafford said the crime was deplorable as Griffen was herself a pensioner.

“You are on a Commonwealth pension and a [doctor’s report] shows you also have health problems,” Magistrate Stafford said. “What’s worse is you stole from someone in your position, only she was worse off.”

The court heard Griffen wrote six cheques to herself from $800 to $2600 between August and November last year.

This money came from the elderly victim’s bank account which held her pension funds and her late husband’s superannuation.

The victim had been in and out of hospital during the time of the fraud did not know the money had been taken until her son, her power of attorney, noticed the discrepancy in the account.

Griffen originally pleaded not guilty to six counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception.

She changed her plea on the day of the hearing, in which the victim, two police officers and staff from the credit union attended to give evidence.

Defence solicitor Stan Kozera urged the magistrate to allow his client to serve her sentence in the community, allowing her to pay $100 a week until she could pay back what she stole.

Magistrate Stafford said Griffen was convicted of 11 fraud charges in 2004 in which she was required to pay compensation.

“She was ordered to pay $6000 [back] and not one cent was made to the victim or victims.

“Why should I give her a chance when she didn’t pay any of the money back last time?”

Griffen was sentenced to 12-months imprisonment with a non-parole period of nine months and will be eligible for release on July 19, 2015.