A book-keeper accused of stealing from a client has denied suggestions that she created fake invoices after allegations arose in an effort to hide her crimes.

While Bambi Lee Pimental accepted that she had not given the invoices to police, she told the Supreme Court that because officers had not asked her for them, she had assumed investigators already had them.

Ms Pimental has pleaded not guilty to three counts of theft, fraudulent false accounting, and using criminal property, while subcontracted by roofing firm J W Gray and Company between June 2016 and June 2020.

However, she has denied wrongdoing, stating that she had only paid herself what she was owed and alleged that Jonathan Gray had “set her up” to get the deeds to her house.

She added that while she gave herself multiple loans over the course of her four-year employment, she always had permission to do so.

As the trial continued yesterday, Ms Pimental maintained that her only mistake was failing to pay back money she had borrowed fast enough.

She told the court that while she had copies of work invoices at home, she did not provide them to police when they came to her home because they had only asked for her computer and any property belonging to Mr Gray.

Asked why she did not think of providing the investigators with documents she believed showed her innocence, she said: “I didn’t think in those terms. I was listening to what they were asking.

“They asked for two things and I gave them two things. If they didn’t ask me for the invoices, then I’m under the impression that they had the invoices.”

Ms Pimental said she did not think to look at the invoices immediately after Mr Gray had accused her of theft, and did not provide them when a report was produced on the bank transactions because she was advised against it.

The Crown said that Ms Pimental also failed to mention the invoices in her defence statements, suggesting that they were a “recent fabrication” created to explain away her crimes.

She denied the claim and said that her lawyers had crafted the defence statements on her behalf, adding she did not know what they said.

Ms Pimental was also questioned about a conversation with Mr Gray, recorded without her knowledge, in which he confronted her about what he suspected was theft.

She accepted that when he asked her how much she was paid, she had responded that her hourly rate was $40, even though she had told the court she received more and that no one else was present when the conversation took place.

“We had a conversation never to disclose it was more than $40,” she said. “I didn’t know why he was asking the question.”

Asked why she did not mention her invoices, she said that she was still trying to figure out what was going on at that time, and Mr Gray had prevented her from accessing her documents in her desk.

Ms Pimental also accepted that while she did mention two loans she said were approved by another person at the company in the conversation, she did not mention the loans she said Mr Gray had earlier given her “blanket permission” to take.

“I didn’t have to say that. He knew that,” she said.

Shaunté Simons-Fox, for the Crown, said Ms Pimental had not talked about any of the details of the loan with Mr Gray until the accusations arose.

She said: “You didn’t discuss any terms, didn’t say how much you needed — you just took it unbeknown to anyone.”

Ms Pimental responded: “I didn’t steal it.”

The trial continues.

• It is The Royal Gazette’s policy not to allow comments on stories regarding criminal court cases. This is to prevent any statements being published that may jeopardise the outcome of that case