A French woman facing a string of fraud charges attempted to trick the French embassy into giving her a new passport by reporting it stolen to police, a court has heard.
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But 22-year-old Olivia Grenon's plan hit a snag when police discovered they had seized her passport as part of the investigation against her.
Grenon is facing the ACT Magistrates Court for allegedly forging a French passport, a French driver's licence, Westpac bank statements, and payslips for Telopea Park School and the Canberra-based French-Australian Preschool.
She is also accused of selling iPhones over classifieds site Gumtree and keeping the money without sending the phones.
Grenon allegedly deceived an Audi dealership in an attempt to obtain an Audi A5, worth $68,000.
The woman, who is in Australia on a 457 visa, applied for bail on Thursday. Her bail was opposed on the grounds she was a flight risk with few ties to the ACT.
If released, Grenon would have been immediately detained by immigration officials, who were sitting in court.
The court heard she had breached her 457 visa, and would either be granted a bridging visa, or taken to Villawood Detention Centre. The court also heard she was having a difficult time in the Alexander Maconochie Centre, and that any concerns about her fleeing the ACT could be addressed with bail conditions.
Her defence lawyer said she had faced ''undue delay'' waiting for police to finalise the case against her, constituting a breach of her human rights. Grenon was accepted into a program designed for women coming out of custody and would have some supervision at the service's residential property.
Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker denied bail and noted the delays were ''highly unsatisfactory'' but acknowledged it was a complex matter. Grenon will be back before the courts this month.
