An accountant in Newcastle, Narelle Labuts, has been jailed for 3.5 years after stealing nearly $880,000 from the Singh Group’s IGA supermarkets using a sneaky tactic—white font on over 500 transactions to hide her theft over four years. Caught in 2021 when a bank flagged a suspicious move, she admitted guilt, blaming poker machines for 90% of the lost cash and saying she prayed for a big win to repay it—unfortunately, luck never came. The judge stressed this was a calculated, not impulsive, crime meant to deter others from exploiting trust. Labuts has only repaid a tiny portion, with her employer recovering some via unpaid entitlements. She’ll be eligible for parole in July 2028, after serving two years. Her defense claims she’s sought help for gambling since 2022, while prosecutors say she only started after being caught. This case is a chilling warning: abuse of trust in finance carries serious consequences.
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