Presiding judge Justice Hoy imposed a sentence of 11 years of imprisonment on the Hartley local, with a non-parole period of six years and six months.  

The court found Whyte had defrauded more than $2.9 million from her employer over seven years.  

Justice Hoy said the sentence took into account the circumstances of her situation including that it was her first time in custody, existing health and mental health conditions and the necessity for an extended period of rehabilitation and re-assimilation back into the community. 

The 43-year-old manager was charged in late 2014 on 27 counts relating to the misappropriation of large sums of money from her employer, a local crane hire business, over a number of years. 

She was arrested in 2014 following an intensive investigation by detectives.

Police raided a property at Hartley, seizing computers and other material as part of the investigation

Whyte’s employer Graham Jenkins, the CEO of Turner and Central Cranes Services, said the outcome was fair. 

“There is no winner in a thing like this but it was a good result for us in the end. Justice was served.” 

Jenkins’ business currently employs 30 people in Lithgow, Bathurst and Orange. 

“It’s been a hard slog, she jeopardised a lot of jobs,” he said. 

“We’re trying to get back on track, which has definitely been easier now we are getting the money in.”

Mr Jenkins said he had been able to “gain most of the assets back” through a separate action heard in the Supreme Court. 

Included in Whyte’s offences were 19 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and 8 counts of obtaining money by deception.