Sarah Kelly with her husband and three children. Photo: GoFundMe.
Former Esperance resident and mother of four Sarah Jayne Kelly, 30, was sentenced to three years and nine months behind bars for fabricating her family’s battle with severe illnesses for her own gain.
Kelly was arrested in Esperance for engaging in reckless conduct that resulted in the suffering of a child in her care, fewer than 12 months after she moved to town.
Her sentence was backdated to April 2025 when she was first detained. She is eligible for parole.
Police said Kelly promoted her family’s “medical problems” on social media, including the Esperance Community Facebook page, to obtain free furniture, food, clothing and other items from the community.
Kelly claimed her family had numerous diseases and disorders including Leukaemia, eating disorders, ADHD and autism.
Police said Kelly had a feeding tube inserted in one of her children for a year which was removed at Perth Children’s Hospital when staff were “tipped off” about the Kelly family by previous doctors’ interstate.
Kelly also used GoFundMe to secure donations and in one instance in 2021, she raised more than $2,000 from a page set up by her friend on her behalf.
The GoFundMe post claimed her son was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia for the second time that year.
A Queenslander who said he knew the Kelly family from their time in the state commented on the page.
“I paid five bucks just so I could let you all know that this lady Sarah Kelly is a thief and con artist,” he wrote.
“She stole $25k from me in Qld during the sale of a motor vehicle, was charged with three counts of fraud and then fled.”
Esperance Police said the Kelly’s moved to town at the beginning of 2023.
According to police, the family became quite well known in Esperance and had several dealings with local companies in which they tried to acquire free goods.
The Kelly family was baptised at Our Lady Star of the Sea parish, and her older children attended the catholic primary school.
Kelly was due to face Esperance District Court in March this year but fled by car to NSW with her husband, Jacob Kelly, 31, and her children two days beforehand.
She was extradited to Perth in April and received an additional charge for her non-appearance in court.
Her husband and four children relocated to Baldivis, Perth soon after.
Kelly was summoned to front District Court Judge Lawrie Levy numerous times after her extradition.
She did not attend court in late April after she admitted herself into hospital at Melaleuca prison, where she has been detained.
A month later her sentencing was adjourned so her council could get an updated psychological report.
In August, her husband allegedly made death threats towards Judge Levy over a phone conversation with Kelly in prison.
All legal parties had a last-minute hearing in which they determine Judge Levy could remain impartial on the case, considering the threats.
Kelly was denied bail in late September because judge Levy considered her a “flight risk”.
