Kim Ramsay, who left her father’s body in morgue, jailed after pocketing $75K in pension, carer fees

A woman who left her father’s body unclaimed at the mortuary for 18 months while she continued to claim more than $75,000 in aged pension and carer’s payments following his death has been jailed. Kim Marie Ramsay came to the attention of authorities in January 2019, after the Public Trustee was notified by WA’s Coroner’s Court that there was an “unclaimed body” at the morgue. When the Department of Human Services contacted Ramsay, she initially denied that her father, Edward Ramsay, who had dementia, had passed away, claiming that she was still providing care for him. And prosecutors last week told WA’s District Court that when the representative asked to speak to him, she stated that he was “unavailable”, until later admitting that he had died in June 2017. Ramsay, 49, explained to the agency that she was suffering financial pressure at the time due to a $16,000 debt and that she also needed to pay for the care of 40 rescue cats, three rescue ponies and two thoroughbred horses. After failing to notify the welfare agency of her father’s death, between 2017 and 2019, Ramsay received more than $40,000 in carer payments to which she was not entitled Ramsay also misappropriated $35,000 of her father’s aged pension payments for her own use, including to pay for dental work and vet and motor vehicle bills. She pleaded guilty to failing to advise Centrelink of her father’s death with the intention of dishonestly obtaining a benefit and dishonestly appropriating property from the agency. Defence lawyer Sharon Auburn said Ramsay had a “very traumatic background” and suffered from significant mental health issues including anxiety and depression as well as chronic pain. The court was told Ramsay was the only person who was able to care for her father, and when he died, she was left looking after both his and her mother’s properties, as well as the many animals, and she felt overwhelmed. “You continued to receive the carer’s payment, the carer’s allowance as well as accessing your father’s pension in order to maintain rent for your father’s place, as well as pay utility bills, food, animal food and vet bills,” Judge Michael Gething said, adding she also had to file for bankruptcy because of her debt. Judge Gething said Ramsay “knew what you were doing was wrong at the time” but accepted she was now remorseful for her offending. Ramsay has so far paid more than $2000 back to Centrelink, which Judge Gething said was evidence of her contrition. But Judge Gething said a sentence needed to be imposed that deterred others from committing social security fraud, saying it was “prevalent, relatively easy to commit and often difficult to detect”. He jailed her for two years, ordering that she be released on a recognisance order — or a good behaviour bond — of $5000 after serving one year behind bars.