Our client was charged with stealing from her employer after a $30,000+ loss to the company, a government-owned corporation, was detected. After a thorough internal investigation, our client was accused of stealing shopping vouchers over a long period of time. Our client admitted responsibility for the theft, and instructed us to make an application for diversion under the Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act. While the magistrate at Blacktown Local Court was unconvinced that this was the appropriate course to take, she did consider that the background factors we raised on our client’s behalf in mitigation of penalty meant that a jail sentence was not warranted in the circumstances, and instead sentenced her to perform community service.