Helen Rosamond: ‘Narcissism’ blamed for company owner defrauding millions from NAB

A Sydney woman feels shame and regret after mental health conditions such as narcissism led her to defraud millions of dollars from National Australia Bank, a court heard on Wednesday.

Former company owner Helen Mary Rosamond developed personality disorders due to ‘pressure, abuse, unhappiness and financial stresses’, Downing Center District Court was told.

Rosamond, 47, spent Christmas in jail after she was found guilty of 88 fraud and bribery charges last November.

During a sentence hearing, clinical psychologist Marianne Plahn said Rosamond had shown significant insight into her offenses, though the prosecution rejected claims of mental health conditions.

‘Her general feeling was that she wanted to somehow express her regret and her shame,’ Ms Plahn told Judge Robert Sutherland.

The jury found Rosamond charged personal expenses to NAB (bank branch pictured), including $228,747 for an interior designer, $100,000 in rent, $372,611 to landscape her home and $17,888 on artwork

‘She really felt that she wanted to have that opportunity to say sorry to His Honour. I thought that was quite moving in a way and I thought that came from a very truthful place.’

Rosamond was found guilty of 59 counts of giving a corrupt benefit to former NAB chief-of-staff Rosemary Rogers and a further 29 counts of obtaining or attempting to obtain property by deception for herself. She was cleared of two charges.

Rogers pleaded guilty to her role in the same scheme in February, 2020 and is serving a maximum jail sentence of eight years with a non-parole period of four years and four months.

Between 2013 and 2018, Rosamond splashed out millions in kickbacks to Rogers and herself by falsifying and inflating invoices from her event management company, Human Group.

Rogers told the trial she received a house, BMW car, boat, holidays and other benefits after approving the false bank invoices.

The jury found Rosamond charged personal expenses to NAB, including $228,747 for an interior designer, $100,000 in rent, $372,611 to landscape her home and $17,888 on artwork.

In a report filed with the District Court, Ms Plahn said Rosamond exhibited symptoms of various personality conditions, including attachment disorder, adjustment disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.

On Wednesday, Ms Plahn said Rosamond was a ‘psychologically damaged individual’ who was drawn into toxic relationships such as with an allegedly abusive ex-husband and, later on, Rogers.

‘She will attach to aggressive people. She will attach to people like her co-worker or boss and feels safe in their rather bullying environment.’

The psychologist said Rosamond wanted to change as an individual.

‘She didn’t want to be like that in the beginning but then being drawn into this vortex of toxicity is something horrific.’

Under cross-examination by crown prosecutor Katrina McKenzie, Ms Plahn agreed that Rosamond would have also benefited from her relationship with Rogers but said that over time, she had tried to escape it.

‘So in the beginning, it’s a collaboration and then the toxicity took over.’

Rosamond’s barrister Anton Hughes argued his client was the ‘dominated party’ who could not say no to Rogers as the main player in the fraudulent scheme.

It’s Miss Rogers who gets the holidays. It’s Ms Rogers who gets the extensions for her house. It’s Ms Rogers who gets the $2.2million cheque,’ he said.

Judge Sutherland said there seemed to be a ‘symbiotic’ (interdependent) relationship between the two women, with both getting personal benefits for themselves and their families.

The judge also questioned why NAB would allow someone such as Rogers to authorize payments of up to $20million in funds without question.

‘Quite frankly, it beggars belief,’ he said.

Mr Hughes concemed the amount defrauded was substantial and that his client’s crimes had occurred over several years.

But he argued that Rosamond’s sentence should be reduced because she had no prior criminal record and had low prospects of reoffending.

Rosamond, 47, spent Christmas in jail after she was found guilty of 88 fraud and bribery charges against NAB last November

A psychologist said Rosamond (pictured) wanted to change as an individual. ‘She didn’t want to be like that in the beginning but then being drawn into this vortex of toxicity is something horrific’

Ms McKenzie urged the court to reject claims that Rosamond had any mental health conditions connected to the offending and agreed with the judge about the symbiotic nature of the fraud.

‘Ms Rogers was in the bank and Ms Rosamond was out there writing the invoices, controlling the money and making sure that things were not discovered,’ she said.

Not only did Rosamond continue with the fraud despite almost being caught by NAB in 2015, she also took money from the bank after Rogers left her position in December 2017, Ms McKenzie said.

Judge Sutherland will deliver his sentence on June 30.