A Gold Coast aged care nurse lied for six years about being married so she could sting the taxpayer almost $100,000 in single parenting payments. Nicole Dunjey was only found out when the Australian Taxation Office realised she was still living with her supposedly former husband. But the Pimpama mum of four claims she only did it because she was not getting enough financial support from her husband. Her husband earned almost $400,000 in the six years Dunjey fraudulently took the payments. Dunjey pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court yesterday to dishonestly gaining financial advantage. The court was told Dunjey called Centrelink and the Department of Human Services in mid-2010 and informed them she was married and no longer eligible for the single parenting payment. Judge Smith sentenced her to three years in prison, to be released on a $1000 good behaviour bond on December 11. Defence barrister Matthew Jackson yesterday said Dunjey had committed the Centrelink deception “to provide for herself and her children”. Mr Jackson said since the offending Dunjey had completed a nursing diploma and started work as an enrolled nurse in a nursing home.
