Heidi Barrat avoids jail after pleading guilty to mouse plague relief rebate fraud

Heidi Barrat fraudulantly claimed $60,000 in mouse plague relief payments. (Supplied: NSW Police)

A woman who fraudulently claimed $60,000 in mouse plague relief funds to fuel her gambling addiction has avoided jail time.

Heidi Barrat, 31, pleaded guilty to 10 charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and one of dealing with identity information to commit an indictable offence.

In the Wagga Wagga local court, Magistrate Rebecca Hosking said Barrat exploited a program designed to help people impacted by the mouse plague.

"You've taken advantage of that [fund] for your own benefit and effectively stolen money from the state of New South Wales," Magistrate Hosking said.

Barrat was sentenced to a two-year intensive corrections order to be served in the community, 300 hours of community service and ordered to repay the $60,000.

Magistrate Rebecca Hosking sentenced Barrat to a two-year intensive corrections order in Wagga Wagga Local Court. (ABC Riverina: Monty Jacka)

'Doomed' to be caught

Over the course of 10 months, Barrat received 120 payments into 120 different bank accounts from the NSW government's mouse control rebate scheme.

Barrat was ordered to abstain from alcohol and drugs. (Suppled: Facebook)

The court heard the Lockhart woman created each bank account with a unique email address, but under her own name.

"There was no degree of planning or sophistication … she was doomed to being caught," her defence lawyer Zac Tankard said.

"It's not a case where she was wearing designer clothes or driving around in sports cars, all the money was put into poker machines."

Police prosecutor Sergeant Jason Tozer said while there was a lack of sophistication, there was also a significant amount of time invested in the crime.

"It is a planned criminal activity committed for financial gain," he said.

"There were 120 emails created and 120 bank accounts created … specifically to deceive Service NSW."

Heidi Barrat received 120 payments from the NSW government's mouse plague rebate scheme.  (Supplied: CSIRO)

Low risk of re-offending

Magistrate Hosking said the crime was "towards the middle of the range" for fraud offences, but Barrat was unlikely to re-offend.

"Your prospects of rehabilitation are good but only if you do the work in relation to dealing with the addictions you have," she said. 

Barrat was ordered to abstain from alcohol and drugs for the next two years and she must continue seeing a psychologist.

Magistrate Hosking said full-time custody would be "back on the table" if Barrat did not adequately undertake her community service.