Victoria Anne Miller avoids jail in Tamworth court after string of fraudulent online applications to NSW government

Victoria Anne Miller will have to pay back almost $7000 worth of fraudulent mouse plague and COVID-19 payments, which she used to fund a "significant drug dependency".

The 30-year-old fronted Tamworth Local Court on Friday after she admitted to making false representations to the NSW government through online application in her name, her sister's name and another man's name.

Legal Aid defence solicitor Rachel Dobson said at the time of offending, during 2020 and 2021, Miller would have done "almost anything" to fund an addiction to methamphetamine.

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"It was used to purchase that substance so she could support that addiction," she said.

"She comes before the court today as quite a different person."

The court heard the Willow Tree resident - who pleaded guilty to two counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception; and three counts of attempting to dishonestly obtain property of deception - had a criminal record that wasn't "particularly enviable". But she had abstained from drugs and would benefit from remaining in the community.

Magistrate Rodney Brender sentenced Miller to a 12-month prison term to be served in the community.

He said whether Miller "succeeded or not" in more than a dozen online applications, the offending was "not just isolated events".

"Fraud is a really serious offence," Mr Brender said.

"It causes a lot of damage to the community and it can be hard to detect."

Miller will have to pay back $6997, stay off the drugs, and engage in rehabilitation treatment.

The matter was adjourned earlier this month after a dispute was raised about whether or not money had already been paid back to the NSW government.

Ms Dobson told the court although some of the money "had hit" Miller's bank account some of it was "intercepted".

"The payments both went into one account, and they [NSW government] seized back what they could," she said.

A 12-month community corrections order was also reimposed, which Miller breached during the fraud offending.

At the time, she was supposed to be of good behaviour for possessing an unauthorised firearm charge.

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