A Queensland woman has been convicted of fraud and fined $2,000 for using the name of the pilot who died in the Sea World helicopter collision in an attempt to get out of a traffic fine.
Key points:
- Ashley Jenkinson died when the helicopter he was flying collided with another in mid-air on the Gold Coast Broadwater on January 2
- Seven days later, Stephanie Bennett nominated him as the driver of her car after she was caught texting while driving
- Her lawyer told the court she felt embarrassment and remorseful
Ashley Jenkinson died along with three other people when the helicopter he was flying collided with another in mid-air on the Gold Coast Broadwater on January 2.
Park Ridge woman Stephanie Louise Bennett, 33, was caught using her mobile phone while driving on December 15 last year.
She nominated the chief pilot as the driver on January 9 — seven days after his death.
Police prosecutor Tahlia Beottcher told Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Friday Mr Jenkinson's widow had received the ticket in the mail.
"She said that she had never seen the vehicle depicted in the infringement notice that she did not know the person who had nominated Jenkinson," Ms Beottcher said.
Bennett, who is a forklift driver in a warehouse, told police she already had a similar fine and stood to lose her license, which would affect her work.
Bennett faced a $1,078 fine and four demerit points.
The court heard she had tried to nominate a number of other names from the obituaries, but the system would not accept them.
She said when she realised who she had nominated she immediately wanted to undo it, but did not know how.
Bennett pleaded guilty to dealing with another person's identification for the purpose of committing an offence and a fraud offence for the reissuing of the ticket.
Both carry a maximum sentence of five years' prison.
'Humiliated in the media'
Defence lawyer Zane Chapman told the court Bennett was facing financial stress when she made the decision to nominate Mr Jenkinson as the driver.
He said she had shown "remorse and embarrassment", and the offending was out of character.
Mr Chapman said she had been "humiliated in the media for the last six, seven weeks".
Magistrate Mark Howden said while it seemed "unlikely" she would reoffend, the courts "need to send a strong message".
"The repercussions in this particular case are significant for all concerned," he said.
"It's clear from the materials you've handed up that your client is otherwise a law-abiding citizen, caring mother, member of society, but she's made a grave mistake," he said.
"As a result of that mistake people have been seriously impacted, grieving people, but she also has been seriously impacted."