Bathurst court: Woman spent GoFundMe donations after being cleared of cancer

Chloe Elizabeth Selmes, formerly of Bathurst and now living in Marrickville, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Michael Allen in Bathurst Local Court on Monday to answer a charge of obtaining benefit by deception.

Her solicitor Shane Cunningham said Selmes was told during a medical imaging appointment that she appeared to have a tumour.

He said Selmes "naturally thought the worst" and confided in friends that she had cancer. Her friends then set up the GoFundMe page.

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Selmes learned her condition was not cancerous after consulting a specialist in January 2019 and Mr Cunningham said she did not know what to do with the money that already been raised.

He said she "tried to put it behind her" and "did not seek payment of the funds", however, the money was eventually transferred to her.

According to police facts, Selmes kept the money and spent it. The page was still actively seeking donations until the end of February.

Mr Cunningham said Selmes did not know "how to come clean" with people but said the money has since been repaid.

Police facts said information was given to CrimeStoppers that Selmes had fraudulently obtained money through GoFundMe as she had never had cancer.

When police contacted her, Selmes she did have cancer but had received the all-clear from recent blood scans.

However on June 8, the accused's father contacted police to say there had been a misunderstanding.

He said Selmes had a biopsy on an ovary and the doctor stated it may have been cancer and from this point she believed she did have cancer. A further follow-up was inconclusive but it was unlikely she had cancer.

Soon after friends of the accused set up a GoFun Me page and the accused did not know what to do. She went along with it but soon after told everyone she was in the clear.

In an interview with police the accused said she found out she didn't have cancer "but the money got deposited in my account".

"I didn't know what to do with it all, and it just snowballed from there," she said.

Police stated that between February and June 2019 the accused obtained the money that had been raised and spent it on things other than what the donors believed it was donated for. She only returned the moeny after police intervened.

In sentencing, Mr Allen said there were a number of very troubling aspects to the matter.

Mr Allen said as soon as Selmes found out she didn't have cancer she had an obligation to tell the truth. He told her to "raise her gaze" from herself.

"You've undermined the trust the community have in endeavoring to assist others who have been inflicted by serious illness," he said.

Mr Allen placed Selmes on a two-year community release order, with no conviction rerecorded.