Ashely Jay Cornish of Tamworth convicted of fraud after lying to claim mouse plague rebates from Services NSW

The Leader can reveal Ashely Jay Cornish has been convicted of two fraud offences for lying on applications to obtain money from the NSW government by way of a mouse plague and a micro business grant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 28-year-old woman fronted sentencing in Tamworth Local Court this week where she admitted to two charges of dishonestly obtaining property by deception.

Legal Aid solicitor Rachel Karrour said the offending was the result of a combination of factors but she does "does not have an ongoing drug problem". She said Cornish was "not buying anything exuberant or flash cars".

"Because she was unable to go into work she was under a significant financial stress," she told the court.

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Ms Karrour conceded they were serious offences, but Cornish "provides an explanation that she was being led by her friend".

"She was being led by another person ... she was going through some significant personal issues," she told the court.

Magistrate Julie Soars said her early guilty plea meant she was given a 25 per cent discount, and it's her "lack of a record" that keeps her out of jail.

"It will take you a long time to pay that back I imagine," she told her.

Cornish was convicted and placed on two Community Corrections Orders for 14 months, and ordered to repay $12,500 to the NSW government.

"If there's anything behind this offending ... if you're involved with people in the drug culture in Tamworth it's time to get away from those people," Ms Soars told her.

The offending occurred between September 27 and October 31, 2021, in Tamworth.

According to police facts, the grants were set up in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic public health orders and mouse plague to provide cash flow support to affected individuals.

In May, last year, Service NSW tipped police off about fraudulent applications before Oxley police homed in on Cornish, who submitted several online applications in 2021.

"The accused provided false and misleading details in the online application to ensure it would be authorised," facts state.

Some of the applications were rejected by Services NSW.

Oxley police obtained Cornish's bank records which showed frequent spending and transferring and questioned her.

Cornish told officers her friend "said she was eligible" for the rebates, and because she had no internet access, she gave all the "necessary documents and supporting information" to her friend.

Cornish told police she had "no idea" the claims were submitted and when she received the money she didn't know where it had come from.

Cornish was charged by Oxley police after checks revealed the online applications were submitted on her mobile phone, registered to her.

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