Dumb Māori ... thought she could get away with it.
View attachment 6335664A woman who was bailed after falsely claiming to be Aboriginal is back behind bars and facing perjury charges.
Haley Terei, 32, was released from custody in May when facing burglary, theft and other charges, after telling the Victorian supreme court she was an Aboriginal woman from the Yorta Yorta nation.
She claimed she inherited her Aboriginality from her maternal line but her mother died when she was three years old so she could not connect to her culture.
Justice Rita Incerti granted Terei’s application on 30 May, noting her Aboriginality was one factor that made her more vulnerable and at a higher risk of harm in custody.
The judge further extended Terei’s bail in June but revoked it on Friday after an application from prosecutors.
The 32-year-old woman had failed to engage with Corrections Victoria or reside at her mandated address while on bail, Incerti said in her written judgment.
She also lied to the court about her Aboriginal background and was likely to be charged with perverting the course of justice, the judge said.
The police informant had listened back to recorded phone calls, which revealed Terei’s mother was not Aboriginal and she was alive in New Zealand.Incerti said it was clear Terei was not Aboriginal and she had sought to gain some benefit on the basis of identifying as such.
