Australia, June 24 -- New South Wales Land and Environment Court issued text of the following judgement on May 23:

1. The Offender Ellise Hosking is to be sentenced having pleaded guilty to a single count on an indictment which is in the following terms: That between 8 September 2016 and 31 January 2020 at Muswellbrook and other places she engaged directly or indirectly in transactions involving the proceeds of crime, being $1,091,545, in circumstances where there were reasonable grounds to suspect that $1,091,545 were the proceeds of crime. That is an offence under s 193C(1) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) and has a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment and there is no applicable SNPP.

The Facts

2. The facts are agreed. The following is taken from the agreed facts.

Introduction and Executive Summary

3. The Co-offender Cameron Gidley-Baird, was the Offender's husband at the time of the offending. He was an undischarged bankrupt as at 27 February 2019, and from 11 February 2010 to 4 September 2013.

4. The Offender's husband, the Co-offender, did not lodge any income tax returns during FY2011 to FY2020. His bank records did not disclose any regular income during that period. He had a significant gambling habit, known to the offender.

5. The Offender submitted tax returns in 2011, 2012 and 2013 on 29 April 2014. In 2014, 2016 and 2019, the offender indicated a return was not necessary. No returns were submitted in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020. In FY2011, the offender's reported income was $27,396, of which $17,293 was reported as income from being a 'Merchandiser' for Snowsports International Pty Ltd. The remainder, as well as the amounts for FY2012 and FY2013, were from government benefits. Similarly to her husband, the Co-offender, no regular income was identified during that period.

6. The Offender and the Co-offender were not gainfully employed during the period of the offending, and declared as such to the Australian Taxation Office. The Offender engaged either directly or indirectly with transactions involving the proceeds of crime, by receiving funds into either her personal bank accounts, or business accounts for companies for which she was the director. There were reasonable grounds to suspect the funds coming into the accounts were proceeds of crime, the crimes being those of the Co-offender.

7. The total sum of monies dealt with, that were deposited into the relevant accounts, was $1,091,545.

8. The period of the offending was 8 September 2016 to 31 January 2020.

*Rest of the document can be viewed at: (https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/196fbff2b8dba661e311eaf7)

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