Tania Whiteman, also known as Tania Malcolm, when she appeared in court in 2018. Photo / NZME
Tania Whiteman, also known as Tania Malcolm, when she appeared in court in 2018. Photo / NZME
A prolific fraudster who has served jail time for ripping people off says she's finally clean from methamphetamine and is remorseful for her actions.
But a Rotorua District Court judge has said Tania Whiteman, also known as Tania Malcolm, has been sorry before.
"I don't put too much store inwhat your client actually says because I find her to be inherently dishonest," Judge Tony Snell told Whiteman's lawyer, Tim Braithwaite.
Judge Snell said Whiteman was remorseful the last time she was sentenced but only "time will tell" if what she said was true.
Whiteman was sentenced to four months' home detention in June 2021 for a series of deception and dishonesty charges.
Judge Snell said she didn't get far into her sentence before breaching it by leaving her home to go and buy methamphetamine.
Whiteman appeared in court for sentencing on Thursday, having previously pleaded guilty to three charges of breaching home detention.
Given the breaches, she was also to be re-sentenced for her previous offences of obtaining by deception which she was serving the four-month home detention sentence for.
Braithwaite said Whiteman had written a remorse letter outlining where she was now after successfully completing 10-week residential drug rehabilitation course with The Bridge.
Judge Snell said he appreciated the letter but there was still doubt cast by the Probation Service about her integrity and honesty.
He questioned whether she was someone who was motivated by having sentences "hanging over her head" as opposed to being sincerely motivated herself.
Braithwaite said Whiteman breached her home detention because she was an addict.
"She breached to satisfy her needs at that time. She's very proud that she's managed to complete rehab. She's tried times before and has failed. She's working really hard for her sobriety."
Although her pre-sentence report said she had used methamphetamine two months ago, Braithwaite said Whiteman denies it and said that's not what she told the probation officer.
"She has been clean since the time before she went into rehab."
Tania Whiteman, also known as Tania Malcolm, when she appeared in court in 2016. Photo / NZME
The Rotorua Daily Post reported a story on Whiteman in 2016 after she was jailed for two years and nine months for pushing her former employer, a Rotorua business, to the brink of bankruptcy by stealing more than $300,000 from them.
Less than a year after being released from that jail sentence, she again tried to buy items in her previous employer's name. She was jailed for a further two months for that offending.
Despite Judge Snell's hesitation in believing Whiteman had changed, he said he didn't want to send her to prison as he didn't think it would help her.
"The court is minded to give you a fresh start ... Take ownership of your life, take ownership of the direction you want to go because it's the only one you've got.
"If you waste it in a drug-addicted state ripping people off and at the mercy of people getting you to do all sorts of things, you've only got yourself to blame."
He sentenced her to six months' community detention followed by 18 months of intensive supervision.
To give the sentence "teeth", Judge Snell said she must submit to alcohol and drug testing, given her past performance.
"If you lapse, we are going to find out. And if you lapse, you know where you're going."
