An Adelaide couple have been found guilty of more than 45 counts of deception after they faked death threats to score time of work, holidays and compensation.
Simon Peisley and Tabitha Lean have been handed custodial sentences after a court heard how they faked some 80 threats including letters, parcels, phone calls and vandalising their own home with tomato sauce, reports News Corp.
The couple worked at South Australia’s Aboriginal health service, and according to the ABC they had made a compensation claim for $580,000, which they government had agreed to pay, before they were caught.
The Guardian reports that the couple were arrested after police planted a stack of envelopes and paper with “invisible ink” in their home. These were then used by the couple to send fake threats and the police were able to reveal the markings with a UV light.
Judge Barry Beazley described the case as “bizarre” and “outrageous” during his sentencing hearing.
“Many of these offences are committed for financial gain, however this is not immediately apparent to me in your case — as I’ve noted, Ms Lean, you held a very high-profile job and were and still are regarded very highly by those who dealt with you at the time,” he said.
The judge sentenced them both to three years without parole, however Lean has been allowed home detention for their sake of their three children. Peisley will serve his time behind bars.
