Heart hospital visit delays plea in welfare fraud case

(Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

CORNWALL – A woman, who swindled the welfare system for over $10,000, was not in a city court Monday to enter a plea on breaching court conditions.

Carrie Anderson, 25, was charged Dec. 14, 2015 with breach of recognizance for failing to abide by a curfew.

She had pleaded guilty in September 2015 to fraud, uttering forged documents, assault, theft and failing to comply with a court order to notify authorities of a change of address.

Anderson still hasn’t been sentenced for those crimes because she was arrested on the same day Judge Gilles Renaud was expected to deliver his decision (Dec. 14, 2015).

“I received a phone call this morning from Carrie (Anderson). I confirmed that the phone number that it came in on was the Heart Institute in Ottawa. I understand that she’s in for a day procedure,” defence lawyer Bill Wade said.

Based on his personal experience, Wade said a day procedure would last far longer than one day.

Judge Gilles Renaud expressed concern about a stretch of time that Anderson had not reported to the probation office.

“She hasn’t been to the probation office since September and what I was hoping to do is simply have you appear through an agent with your client actually before me. I just need her to report to the probation officer so they have the current address and we’ll go from there,” Renaud said.

The matter will be heard Friday (Feb. 12) at 9:30 a.m.