Linda Gay Woods sobbed in the dock of Tamworth District Court on Thursday afternoon as she pleaded guilty to the fraud spanning five years.

She admitted to dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception by transferring $809,510.07 into her bank account from her employer, Freight Specialists.

Woods created false invoices to transfer the money into her bank account between April 8, 2011, and August 30, 2016.

She was flanked by family in court for the arraignment, but will remain on bail until she is sentenced in July.

“Ms Woods also asks the court to take into account one offence on a form one,” defence barrister Jason Curtis said.

Judge Deborah Payne was told the additional charge of dealing with the proceeds of crime involved Woods fraudulently obtaining sums of money from her employer over a five-year period.

“The offender applied and used those funds for her own benefit, to fund lifestyle and purchases,” court documents state.

Woods, 46, was charged in January in Tamworth after an investigation by Fairfield detectives. She was originally charged with eight dishonesty or proceeds of crime charges.

Following guilty pleas to the charges in the local court, the case was committed to the district court and the charges were rolled into one indictment which carries a maximum of 10 years behind bars. 

Judge Payne ordered Community Corrections to compile an updated report on Woods’ background before a sentencing hearing scheduled for July.

In March, Magistrate Roger Prowse refused to suppress the case after a solicitor for Woods’ was instructed to make a non-publication order “to save embarrassment”.