A New South Wales bookkeeper has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for embezzling $1.5 million from surfing siblings, Owen and Tyler Wright.
Shane Maree Hatton was charged with 749 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception in April 2021 after she was arrested in Vincentia, on the NSW south coast.
The 54-year-old, who was a friend of the surfers' mother, Fiona Wright, later pleaded guilty to defrauding the family over a decade, while employed to look after their accounts.
In Wollongong District Court on Thursday, Ms Hatton was sentenced to an aggregate term of five years and six months jail, with a non-parole period of three years.
Judge Andrew Haesler also ordered her to pay $647,000 in compensation to the pro-surfers, who grew up at Culburra on the NSW south coast, and their family.
Owen was awarded $326,500, Tyler $262,500, their younger brother Mickey $20,500 and their parents, Fiona and Robert Wright, $37,500.
The family has declined to comment but on Friday a close friend told the ABC, the Wright family were glad the matter had been resolved.
Owen Wright won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics last year after recovering from a brain injury sustained while training in 2015.
It was the first time the sport had been included in the Olympic schedule.
Two-time world champion, Tyler, had considered putting her career on hold in the wake of her brother's accident at Pipeline in Hawaii.
The 28-year-old was forced to pull out of the World Tour for more than a year after suffering from a crippling virus in 2018.
Tyler has announced this week she has been ruled out of competing at the upcoming World Surf League event in Brazil due to a visa issue.
