Jacqueline Louise McGowan, 40, pleaded guilty to four fraud charges worth tens of thousands of dollars in June.

On Friday, she was cross-examined by her lawyer Shane Gill before Acting Justice Robinson in the ACT Supreme Court and said she had an abusive childhood and wanted her children to be better off than she was.

McGowan faked work with Canberra nightspots and liquor stores while working with promotion and distribution company Bacardi Lion.

According to court documents, she "systematically and dishonestly" used her managerial position to make purchases on the company card, disguising them as expenses she had incurred while working with local pubs, liquor stores, and nightclubs.

The corporate credit card was used to pay for her bathroom renovations, caravan site fees at a NSW resort, vet bills, clothing, groceries and tickets to the circus, among other things.

McGowan told the court her actions were motivated by a desire to provide a better life for her daughter, 13, and son, 17.

She said she was forced to wear clothes from St Vincent De Paul's as a child while her mother would wear garments from Country Road.

She said her mother did not let her celebrate Christmas and would occasionally make her eat dog food when the pantry was empty.

"I made a pledge I would never allow that for my kids," she said.

"One year we had no money and I hated the thought of my children not having anything to eat, as that would make me like her."

McGowan's attempts to disguise the purchases as work-related were sometimes unsophisticated.

Her son's school fees, for example, were paid for on the corporate card, but McGowan claimed the expense was for "artwork" at the now-closed ICBM nightclub in Civic

She paid for her two children's swimming lessons on the card, and then claimed someone from the pool had done embroidery on bar shirts and aprons for a local venue.

Toys were purchased from Super Toyworld and Hobbies in Fyshwick, and she paid for her car registration, disguising it as a paid parking voucher for work.

She billed her work for video games - WWE SmackDown vs Raw 10 and Rugby League Challenge, for example - and for DVDs like The Simpsons and Hannah Montana.

A $135 haircut put on the card was disguised as a "gift basket" for the ACT Racing Club, a client of the company.

She invented a bar called Banque, supposedly in Manuka, which she used in an attempt to secure $15,000 from her company, and Reaction, a bar supposedly associated with the now-closed group of Civic bars, ICBM, Meche, and North Bar, which she used to secure roughly $14,000.

There was also fraud relating to a removalist company, and she used "bonus stock" provisions at a liquor wholesaler to obtain 180 cartons of pre-mixed bourbon and coke by deception, valued at $13,069, which she gave to ICBM to help her maintain favour with the club.

While on the stand, Ms McGowan said she was "remorsefully sorry" for her actions and felt embarrassed.

"I've made such a horrible, unforgivable mistake," she said.

"I wish I could turn back the clock. They held me in such high regard."

Ms McGowan said her emotional response to being caught was one of "guilt, remorse, embarrassment and shame".

Under cross-examination, McGowan was asked why she used her company credit card to hire a caravan for a family holiday.

"Yes it could be looked upon as greedy but I never had a holiday as a child," she said.

She told the court she was on medication for insomnia, depression, anxiety, pain relief, heart burn and had been granted sick leave by her current employer, Woolworths.

McGowan's actions were detected in 2011 and she was sacked. A forensic audit was conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the case was referred to police.

Her deception involved 197 transactions worth $59,517 on her corporate credit card, fraudulently obtaining property on six occasions worth $54,915, and attempting to obtain another $15,000 worth of property.

All up, the 216 fraudulent transactions were worth $129,432. She also committed 12 acts of forgery worth $46,775.

McGowan will be questioned by the prosecution on Friday afternoon before being sentenced by Acting Justice David Robinson.