A welfare cheat caught stealing from the public purse three times in three different states has dodged an immediate prison sentence for scamming more than $20,000 in Centrelink payments. Melinda Brown, of Gol Gol, pleaded guilty to the Commonwealth charge of obtaining financial advantage by deception when she faced Mildura Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Appearing for the Commonwealth, prosecutor Peter Delorenzo said Brown received $22,305.92 in Newstart overpayments over 2½ years by deliberately not reporting, or under reporting, her earnings while working at an aged-care home. The court heard Brown had faced identical charges in NSW in 2005 and in Queensland in 2001. Magistrate Gerard Bryant sentenced Brown to six months’ prison, wholly suspended. She has been ordered to repay the overpayments to the Commonwealth.
