Raeleen Griffiths, 48, pleaded guilty in the ACT Supreme Court to two counts of dishonestly obtaining $140,480 by deception.

The court was told that Griffiths, who now lives in Pambula, manipulated the accounting systems of two employers to have invoices paid directly into her personal bank account.

Between September 2011 and December 2012, she stole $75,320.

She then stole $65,160 from a tree trimming company between February 2013 and July 2014.

She told a presentence report author that her marriage had failed at the time and she found her cost of living increased beyond her means.

The court was told that the the crimes had been opportunistic and were motivated by financial pressure as she did not want to put her children through hardship.

Griffiths accepted the second fraud had a degree of premeditation, as she had become reliant on the extra money.

She said she had suffered anxiety, insomnia, and depression at the time, and feelings of shame, guilt, and embarrassment hindered her ability to seek help.

The author assessed Griffiths as being at a low risk of reoffending. The court heard that Griffiths had one previous conviction, for shoplifting in NSW.

The court was told that superannuation valued at $61,000 and a car worth about $50,000 had been confiscated and would be used to repay the fraud victims.

Justice John Burns accepted that Griffiths had helped to recover money to repay the stolen funds and had no other assets or capacity to make full reparation.

The judge said the crimes meant Griffiths had breached a significant level of trust, but also accepted that she had shown genuine remorse for the offences and was unlikely to reoffend.

Justice Burns sentenced her to 21 months' jail, with eight months to be served in weekend detention, and the final 13 months suspended upon her entering a two year good behaviour order.

He also ordered Griffiths to repay the stolen money.