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A 28-year-old woman appeared in the Hamilton District Court yesterday charged with
fraudulant misuse of money entrusted to her as fundraiser for a girl guide’s troupe.
Cheryl Ann Kowalski, a teachers aid of Hillcrest, pleaded guilty before Judge Roy Bean
and was remanded on bail until August 13 for a probation officers report and sentence.
Prosecuting, Serjeant Helen Wilson said Kowalski had been in charge of fundraising for
the Hillcrest girl guides’ and had soul access to the bank account. More than $13,000 had
been raised to pay for air fares and accomodation in Sidney, where the guides were to
attend a South Pacific jamboree.
Serjeant Wilson said Kowalsky had taken money from the guides account to buy
restaurant meals, alcohol and ecstacy pills. She had also spent a weekend in a deluxe
suite at the Chateaux resort hotel with her fiancée and paid for repairs to her Saab
convertable car.
Serjeant Hudson said as a result of Kowalski’s fraudulant behavior the trip to Sidney had
had to be canceled and the morale of the girl guides’ was deeply effected. She described
the defendent as a calculating woman who’s offending had caused great distress to the
guides and their parents. Restitution of $11,000 was sort.
Kowalski’s defence council, Robert Browne, said she had formally been a model citizen
with an unblemished record and was deeply embarassed to be appearing in court.
He said Kowalskis’ life had been turned upside down three years ago by the sudden
collapse of her marriage. She had established a new relationship following her divorce
but in the meantime had succumbed to drugs and alcohol. Her decision-making had been
severely impared by frequent bouts of drunkeness.
Shifting to Hamilton from Taumaranui, her house had been damaged in a fire and her
career prospects had suffered as a result of the stress she had undertaken. A sexual
harassment case against a former boss, now in the Employment Court, had exasperated
the strain on her.
“Your honor, I submit that my client is also prone to Walter Mintie-type phantasies and
aspires to a lifestyle that her income didn’t support.
Mr Brown said Kowalski would of avoided this crisis in her life with the right support
from the right people, but unfortunately it was not forthcoming.
“I would respectfully suggest that a monetary penalty would be appropriate in this
instance. The defendent is eager to sieze this opportunity to turn her life around.”
The judge said he was prepared to bale Kowalski for the timebeing but that did not mean
a custodial sentence would not be imposed.