In September 2010, she admitted submitting false invoices and even provided a breakdown of how much she believed she had defrauded ACC, although it was substantially lower than the actual amount calculated during an investigation.
She received a total of $77,222 for home help to which she was not entitled.
Crown prosecutor Catherine Anderson submitted that home detention was not appropriate for Tawhai as a large amount of money was stolen in just over a year.
She said a large number of hours were taken up in investigating the matter and that ACC's scheme had been brought into disrepute.
Tawhai's lawyer Kelly Ellis said her client was in an abusive relationship and that a religious worker imposed her religious beliefs on her to plead guilty to the charges.
Judge de Ridder said Tawhai has had significant health issues for a long time and noted another person was involved in the fraud.
