Karen Louise Webb, 49, of Goulburn, pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception when she appeared in Goulburn Local Court on September 3.

Her solicitor said in open court that the offences were committed to assist a family member with the costs of medical treatment after they had been diagnosed with melanoma.

Police facts tendered in court said the offending covered a period of eight months, from October 2017 to June 2018, in which a total of $48,200 was defrauded from Westpac Bank, Goulburn.

Webb had been employed as a personal banker at the branch for five years and used her position at the bank to create accounts using profiles of existing customers and take delivery of credit and debit cards at a PO Box set up to receive them.

Police said the offending began in October 2017 when she used an existing loan approval for $4000 and transferred the money into her account.

This offending was repeated numerous times in 2018, involving varying amounts.

At one point, on April 23, 2018, Webb approved a $20,000 personal loan.

Police said she had used these particular accounts to transfer money and withdrew money from them on various occasions.

They had CCTV footage of Webb withdrawing money from the accounts at the Westpac ATM in Auburn Street.

The bank had since recovered $2049, leaving an outstanding amount of $46,151.

Westpac has since paid back $48,200 to all seven victims, who were unaware the accounts had been created and used. All of the accounts have now been closed.

On April 17, 2019, Webb attended the Goulburn Police Station voluntarily and made "full and frank admissions" to all charges.

In court, her solicitor said she was "under extreme financial pressure" at the time of the offending and that this took a toll on her mental state.

"There is a corroboration of her mental state from a psychologist. She needed to see a psychiatrist, the doctor recommended," the solicitor said.

"The first offending coincided with her being influenced by her father's cancer diagnosis of melanoma," the solicitor said.

"He urgently needed money for treatment and she succumbed to the temptation of approving a $4000 loan where there was an existing withdrawal approval.

"She then created another loan and transferred the money into her own account.

"She intended to replace the funds at a later date.

"She gave the money to her parents for treatment.

"She is extremely remorseful.

"She has made two attempts to contact the bank, but they are not returning the contact.

"She has now recovered from her previous mental state and she is determined to make good.

"She was of previous good character."

Magistrate Geraldine Beattie said the particulars of what Webb had done were very serious.

"For eight months as a trusted employee of the bank, you opened accounts and very large personal loans of up to $20,000," Ms Beattie said.

"You obtained over $46,000 that was not your money.

"It involved considerable planning, including setting up a PO Box.

"It was fraud against a bank for eight months and it is very, very serious offending.

"I accept the pressure you were under, but you took money that was not yours and you set up an elaborate system to do so over eight months.

"It is a serious breach of trust.

"You don't take money that is not yours and you don't make false accounts.

"This was in excess of $46,000 over eight months.

"The motive was to obtain money to survive and assist your parents.

"Higher courts have made it clear there is a strong need for general deterrence in such cases.

"The court needs to send a message to the community that this offending will not be tolerated.

"It was a substantial sum, requiring systematic planning.

"The extenuating circumstances in no way excuse your behaviour.

"It puts it in context, but you had other options. There were other things you could have done.

"It crosses the threshold for imprisonment."

She sentenced Webb to 15 months' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of seven months.

She also ordered that Webb repay the amount of $46,151 to the Westpac bank.

In court, Webb moved in the opposite direction of the Corrections Officers after learning of her sentence, before Magistrate Beattie said: "No, you go with them."

She was taken into the cells down below by the officers.

Webb later lodged an appeal against the severity of the sentence.

She has been granted conditional bail until the appeal is heard.

Her appeal has been scheduled to be heard in the Goulburn District Court on October 28.

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