In South Australia's District Court, Judge Geraldine Davison sentenced Michelle Bodzsar to more than four years' jail for her crimes, which caused significant harm and distress to her son, who believed he had cancer.
The 45-year-old West Lakes mother had pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in acts likely to cause harm to her son and 10 counts of deception.
She has been in custody since her arrest in December 2024 after being accused of forcing her son to take pseudo medicine while falsely portraying that he had cancer.
The court was previously told Bodzsar had become a gambling addict during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was "living the life of the rich and famous … beyond her means".
"You attribute much of the root cause of this offending to financial difficulties ... I do not accept that," the judge said on Wednesday.
"Your offending is far more cruel and manipulative … It was designed as an attention-seeking device."
Her son suffered an eye injury in a trampoline fall in September 2024 and tests by an ophthalmologist cleared him.
But Bodzsar told her husband, Ben Miller, their son had cancer and scans revealed three tumours on his optic nerve, requiring eight rounds of radiotherapy.
She uploaded social media posts with pictures showing her son with a shaved head, requesting donations to a bank account.
Bodzsar transferred more than $5000 to her account for daily living and received thousands of dollars in cash donations.
The harm caused to her son was perpetrated on a daily basis by giving him pseudo medication and forcing him to take it even when he clearly did not want to, the judge said.
"It is a form of child maltreatment and child abuse."
Bodzsar became teary when the judge spoke about her parents and childhood, but otherwise displayed no emotion during sentencing.
The local school community also experienced shock, betrayal and anger, the court heard.
"They feel shame for being naive and embarrassed for not spotting the lies earlier," the judge said.
It was not the first time Bodzsar engaged in lies to manipulate an emotional response and since her arrest, had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
"I have significant concerns about your prospects for true rehabilitation," the judge said.
Outside court, Mr Miller said that no sentence would ever justify what was done to his children.
He was initially charged alongside his wife but had absolutely no idea what was going on, the judge said.
"It is hard to understand the deep feelings of betrayal that he must have.
"Your crimes have resulted in him losing his job, his career and being unable to get work because he was on home detention, and no contact with his children for almost seven months."
Their son was now angry and sad for no apparent reason and their daughter, then aged eight, was anxious about being abandoned, the judge said.
Bodzsar was given a head sentence of four years, three months and 20 days, with a non-parole period of two years and four months, meaning she will be eligible for parole in April 2027.
"This is not a sentence for your wide-ranging cruelty and manipulation," Judge Davison said.
"I am only sentencing you for the offences to which you have pleaded guilty."
It was not appropriate to suspend the sentence, or for it to be served on home detention, which would rightly outrage the community, the judge said.
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