By Tanya Faulkner
A Healesville local has received an extended prison sentence after deceptive behaviour at the Victorian County Court.
Monica Kallelea was sentenced by County Court judge Frank Gucciardo to a further 18 months in prison on the charge of perverting the course of justice.
Kallelea now has a total prison sentence of seven and a half years, with a new non-parole period of four years and eight months.
This is Kallelea’s third conviction, after being given a community corrections order for drug trafficking in 2020 and culpable driving causing the death of a Belgrave woman in 2022 which landed her in jail.
In April 2020, Victoria Police officers executed a search warrant at a Healesville property where Kallelea was residing with her partner, uncovering large amounts of drugs including cannabis and methamphetamine, among others.
She pled guilty, and appeared in the Shepparton County Court before Judge Smallwood in December, 2021.
Kallelea had submitted to the court two character reference documents, supposedly from her long-term friends, Ms Hodgson and Ms Myles.
Judge Smallwood said, at the time of sentencing, that her chances for reform were “very, very promising”.
When providing his formal reasons for sentence at Kallelea’s plea hearing, Judge Smallwood took the references into consideration when deciding the sentence.
He placed Kallelea in a community correction order, with conviction, for four years.
This sentence also included 300 hours of community service, treatment and rehabilitation for drugs, metal health assessment and treatment, and supervision.
“I have read the character references that have been tendered on your behalf and they speak very well of you in terms of your own character and your situation as a mother,” said Judge Smallwood.
However, Ms Hodgson became aware of the supposed character references when she heard about Kallelea’s culpable driving causing death charge, in which she discovered the character references were written documents.
Ms Hodgson contacted Ms Myles, who also had no idea about the references, and the pair went to the police.
It was later discovered by police that neither of the character references were authored or signed for by Ms Hodgson or Ms Myles.
Judge Gucciardo, who presided over this most recent sentencing, quoted a statement from Ms Myles during the sentencing hearing, which stated she “would not have written such things” in the reference letters.
Kallelea pled guilty to the charges earlier this year, which was accepted by the Judge on account of remorse for her actions.
He said during the sentencing hearing that her plea, accompanied with remorse for her actions, will help to reduce her sentence.
Kallelea was said to have submitted a letter to the court prior to sentencing that she felt “ashamed and embarrassed” by her actions.
Judge Gucciardo said that while charges of perverting the course of justice are rare, they are very serious crimes as it “strikes at the heart of the court system” and can cause harm to the public trust and safety within the system.
He said due to the nature of the crime being “premeditated”, this sentence should reflect the denervation and deterrence of justice, adding an additional 18 months to her existing sentence.
