A “fundamentally dishonest” Wodonga woman has been jailed for a year following her role as a getaway driver in a Wangaratta home invasion and making nearly $16,000 worth of fraudulent purchases with a stolen chequebook in small businesses across the North East.

Karen Buovac, 55, appeared at Wodonga Magistrates’ Court last Thursday where she received her sentence which included six months non-parole.

She was remanded in custody a month prior after pleading guilty, but the court heard despite her plea, she had not accepted accountability in the offending, which was a theme over her 30-year criminal history.

“You are fundamentally a dishonest person,” Magistrate Ian Watkins said.

On 11 November last year around 1pm Buovac drove three men in her grey hatchback to a Wangaratta home in Tavern Terrace.

A 20-year-old Tallygaroopna man, a 39-year-old man and a 35-year-old Moyhu man exited the vehicle wearing balaclavas, forcing entry at the rear of the house.

Two of the men carried a large safe from the house containing $20,000 worth of collectable coins into the hatchback.

Buovac then drove away, leaving her co-accused at the house just as the homeowner approached the address, driving past the hatchback.

The homeowner called their son who arrived and confronted the three men.

A safe was thrown at the man which hit him in the face, causing large lacerations.

The trio were spotted by patrolling police officers fleeing the property, running near the Wangaratta Christian Fellowships Church grounds, where they were found hiding in the bushes.

Numerous items from the burglary were located with the offenders including a handbag, jewellery and a hard drive containing the Tavern Terrace home CCTV footage.

Buovac was later arrested and charged at her Wodonga home in December last year.

The court heard Buovac later told a psychologist she believed she was transporting the three men to Wangaratta because they were looking for jobs and attending job interviews.

“People don’t go to job interviews in balaclavas,” Magistrate Watkins said.

“You were not just an innocent driver; your role was far more sinister than that.”

Buovac told police she had left the safe containing the coins on the side of a road, but it was never found.

All three co-accused were sentenced to community corrections orders for their role in the offending.

Following the incident, the court heard Buovac went on a shopping spree across the North East with a stolen chequebook in June and July this year.

She made fraudulent purchases of chainsaws, brush cutters, blowers, a generator and motor oils at retail stores in Wangaratta, Benalla, Shepparton and Numurkah.

At each of the transactions the 55-year-old told the store cashier she would be making the purchases on behalf of the cheque book owner and all purchases would be declined days later.

On 21 July police searched Buovac’s Wodonga home to find a Jeep wagon she had driven to the stores with the stolen chequebook.

Inside the unregistered car were three blank stolen cheques and three pawn tickets.

The offending breached her community corrections order, which she had not been complying with.

In her plea hearing, defence counsel Nadia David said the offending came at a time of major depression for her client, who was diagnosed bipolar and had gambling issues.

Magistrate Watkins said the dishonest offending and lack of accountability had shown she had poor prospects for rehabilitation and a disregard to her victims.

“The impact on stock loss on small businesses is significant and it takes them a long time to get back their lost profit,” he said.

Magistrate Watkins also fined the woman $650 for driving an unregistered vehicle.