Moomie & the fake baby

This is just incomprehensable to me. How could the court not order
compensation for this fraud? I think the punishment should be far, far more
than this.

~AZ~


Sentence increased for woman with fake baby

By Leonie Lamont
July 3 2003

A woman who invented the existence of a baby to defraud her former
boyfriend of $23,000 in child support payments and bogus medical bills has
had her sentence increased, following a successful Crown appeal.

Debra Anne Dalton, 23, who appeared in Downing Street Local Court yesterday
with her parents and her 18-month-old child from a subsequent relationship,
was told by the District Court's Chief Judge, Reg Blanch, that her fraud
was planned,
callous and continuous.

The court was told the fraud was discovered when the man, Matthew
Wojtowicz, a 24-year-old station attendant, sought legal aid to try to get
access to the child he had never seen.

He found that the purported letters from the Child Support Agency and
medical bills for a condition that required treatment by a specialist in
the United States were all fake. So, too, were the photographs of a child
Dalton had sent him.

"In a case like this there is also the emotional impact ... He was led to
believe he was the father of a child ... and in the end not only did he
find out that wasn't the situation, but that he had been defrauded of a
significant amount of money and that during [the period of payments] the
quality of his life was adversely affected," the judge said.


"There is no explanation for why she would do it apart from the fact that
in the past she had habitually told lies, and has sought treatment for it."

Between September 2000 and April 2002, Mr Wojtowicz paid $23,211, during
which time he worked overtime, and lost his car because he could not meet
the repayments.

Judge Blanch said the original sentence of 150 hours of community service
was "manifestly inadequate", and he imposed an order of 400 hours. He also
criticised the sentencing magistrate for not ordering compensation.

Mr Wojtowicz has since instituted civil proceedings to recover his money.
The court was told that Dalton, who is on a supporting parents pension, had
initially offered to repay $20 a fortnight, but has since proposed $100 a
fortnight.

"The prime consideration at this stage should be compensation to the
victim," Judge Blanch said.

He decided not to make a compensation order because that would expose Mr
Wojtowicz to the legal costs of the civil compensation action.

the only fair way to deal with this would to have ordered restitution, which
would be non-dischargable in bankruptcy just like CS.

Leaving him to seek civil remedies is a slap to the face. She should feel
the full weight of the Local Government to fork over every dime she stole
and pay interest on this amount at the legal rate until he has been paid in
full.


"AZ Astrea" wrote in message
...
This is just incomprehensable to me. How could the court not order
compensation for this fraud? I think the punishment should be far, far
more
than this.

~AZ~


Sentence increased for woman with fake baby

By Leonie Lamont
July 3 2003

A woman who invented the existence of a baby to defraud her former
boyfriend of $23,000 in child support payments and bogus medical bills has
had her sentence increased, following a successful Crown appeal.

Debra Anne Dalton, 23, who appeared in Downing Street Local Court
yesterday
with her parents and her 18-month-old child from a subsequent
relationship,
was told by the District Court's Chief Judge, Reg Blanch, that her fraud
was planned,
callous and continuous.

The court was told the fraud was discovered when the man, Matthew
Wojtowicz, a 24-year-old station attendant, sought legal aid to try to get
access to the child he had never seen.

He found that the purported letters from the Child Support Agency and
medical bills for a condition that required treatment by a specialist in
the United States were all fake. So, too, were the photographs of a child
Dalton had sent him.

"In a case like this there is also the emotional impact ... He was led to
believe he was the father of a child ... and in the end not only did he
find out that wasn't the situation, but that he had been defrauded of a
significant amount of money and that during [the period of payments] the
quality of his life was adversely affected," the judge said.


"There is no explanation for why she would do it apart from the fact that
in the past she had habitually told lies, and has sought treatment for
it."

Between September 2000 and April 2002, Mr Wojtowicz paid $23,211, during
which time he worked overtime, and lost his car because he could not meet
the repayments.

Judge Blanch said the original sentence of 150 hours of community service
was "manifestly inadequate", and he imposed an order of 400 hours. He also
criticised the sentencing magistrate for not ordering compensation.

Mr Wojtowicz has since instituted civil proceedings to recover his money.
The court was told that Dalton, who is on a supporting parents pension,
had
initially offered to repay $20 a fortnight, but has since proposed $100 a
fortnight.

"The prime consideration at this stage should be compensation to the
victim," Judge Blanch said.

He decided not to make a compensation order because that would expose Mr
Wojtowicz to the legal costs of the civil compensation action.