A WOMAN who allegedly feigned bowel cancer to avoid jail four years ago when the community rallied to raise money for her, has been listed to appear on Monday to answer a fraud charge in the Bathurst Local Court.
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Leanne Tracy Church, 41, of Clark Street, Hill End pleaded guilty to one of two charges she was facing in Mudgee Local Court on Wednesday.
Church was not present in court but entered her guilty plea via fax, asking to be excused from attending court because her husband was in hospital.
The charges Church is now facing follow allegations she had never been diagnosed with cancer in 2006 and 2007. The charge she has pleaded guilty to relates to receiving money raised because of her illness.
On Wednesday, Magistrate Jan Stevenson, after hearing the faxed guilty plea, adjourned the matter to Bathurst.
Police Prosecutor Sergeant Brett Donaghy said if Church failed to appear on Monday, regardless of her reasons, he would apply to have a warrant issued for her arrest.
Church is facing charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and with obtaining money by deception. She pleaded guilty this week to obtaining money by deception but did not enter a plea in relation to the other charge.
Church had been convicted of assaulting another Hill End woman in October 2006 and was placed on a good behaviour bond after her legal counsel, Richard Wise, explained to the court that his client had been diagnosed with bowel cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy.
At the time Church allegedly shaved her head and appeared in court wearing a bandana that she allegedly wore in the weeks leading up to being sentenced for the assault.
Magistrate Thomas Hodgson had at first told Church, who appeared at that time under the name Leanne Tracy Mobbs, that she was going to be sentenced to a jail term.
However, after Mr Wise made the cancer representations under instruction from his client, Mr Hodgson placed her on a good behaviour bond in lieu of a prison sentence.
On hearing the news of Church's illness the Hill End community rallied to her aid and held fundraising events in the town to assist her financially, the court has heard.