Kiwi Woman Deported for Forging Letters to Free Jailed Partner

Well, here we go again. In this immigration news, a story so absurd it feels like it’s ripped straight out of a dark comedy. Kelly Ruth Edmonds, a Kiwi-born woman, finds herself deported from Australia after forging medical letters to spring her jailed partner on fake cancer claims. You couldn't make this up if you tried.

In 2017, Edmonds' then-partner, locked up on firearms charges, was granted bail thanks to these fabricated letters detailing various cancers, including inoperable brain cancer. It took two whole years before the ruse was uncovered. By then, the partner's trial was looming, and the lawyer was pushing to have the trial vacated and then permanently stayed due to these supposed medical emergencies. Edmonds even used a real doctor’s name and letterhead she found online, forging signatures and faxing the fraudulent documents to the lawyer.

When Australian police finally got wind and started investigating in 2019, the doctor whose name was used confirmed she never wrote those letters. Edmonds admitted her forgery to the police, leading to her conviction on two counts of perverting the course of justice, resulting in a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

Fast forward to last month, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal of Australia upheld the decision to cancel Edmonds' visa under section 501 of the Australian Migration Act, despite her pleas to stay in Australia, where she had lived since she was 16 and where her immediate family resides. The tribunal noted her extensive criminal history, both in New Zealand and Australia, including a staggering 33 convictions over 20 years for everything from violence and shoplifting to fraud and driving offences.

This wasn't her first brush with deceit either. Among her crimes was a scam involving stealing from people selling products on social media and dishonestly collecting about $40,000 in social security payments by misrepresenting her circumstances. It seems Edmonds has a knack for fraudulent and deceptive conduct, a trait that, according to the tribunal, had roots back in New Zealand.

The tribunal’s decision, despite acknowledging her strong family ties in Australia, ultimately sided with the protection and expectations of the Australian community, emphasising her persistent dishonesty and fraudulent behaviour. So now, Edmonds, out on parole since May 2022 and held in an immigration detention centre, is set to be sent back to New Zealand, marking the end of a sordid chapter of deceit and manipulation.

This tale is a stark reminder of the lengths some will go to manipulate the system, the consequences of such actions, and the eventual long arm of justice catching up, no matter how elaborate the scheme. Edmonds' story is one of audacity, deception, and the ultimate price of trying to game the system.

And that's the immigration news for today. Follow and subscribe for more immigration content like this. Ka Kite Ano.