27 Jan 2017

Woman admits forging reference for court appearance

3:03 pm on 27 January 2017

A former executive assistant to Wellington Airport's chief executive has admitted forging a reference so she would receive a lesser sentence for misuse of a company credit card.

credit card

A file photo of a credit card: Jenna Davidson racked up $40,000 of unauthorised spending on her work credit card. Photo: 123rf

Jenna Davidson, 31, appeared in the Wellington District Court today and also pleaded guilty to charges of obstructing the course of justice and using a document to obtain a pecuniary advantage from her next employer, the Accident Compensation Corporation.

She was employed at the airport between February 2013 and August 2015, but lost her job after racking up $40,000 of unauthorised spending on her work credit card.

In January last year she was sentenced to six months' community detention and 120 hours' community service, and was ordered to repay what she had taken.

During sentencing, the judge referred to a glowing reference from her then-employer, ACC.

An ACC staff member read a media report about the sentencing and the organisation began an investigation, which revealed Davidson had not only spent almost $40,000 on personal items using an ACC credit card, she had also used her work computer to forge the reference presented at her sentencing for the airport fraud.

That reference purported to be from her ACC supervisor.

Court documents showed Davidson used her ACC credit card for a range of items, including a spa treatment and purchases of clothing and homewares from online retailers and several other stores, including Kirkcaldie & Stains.

She also spent $1050 on gambling and almost $600 on Sky Television.

Many of the purchases were made on weekends or when Davidson was on annual leave and she attempted to hide them from her employer by coding them as room hire or gift vouchers.

Judge Peter Hobbs convicted Davidson and remanded her on bail until her sentencing in April.

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