The mother of miracle child Sarah Innes Mason is a convicted crook on the run from the law.
Daily Mail can reveal Sarah’s mum Karina Innes Mason is wanted in New South Wales over fraud convictions.
She had fled the country, abandoning her sick daughter, while awaiting serious fraud charges in Albury – on the border of Victoria and NSW.
Sarah was heralded a ‘miracle baby’ when she defied the odds to live more than a few days.
Born without a pancreas, Sarah died on July 26 at age 16 in South Africa where her mother fled in 2020 during Victoria’s Covid 19 lockdowns.
Court records obtained by Daily Mail reveal Innes Mason was convicted of 16 counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception at Albury’s Local Court on February 12, 2019.
The matters were heard by Magistrate Miranda Moody in Innes Mason’s absence, with warrants issued for her arrest on each charge.
The charges relate to two separate incidents, with six charges related to one fraud and 10 counts linked to the other.
Karina Innes Mason, then known simply as Karina Innes, became a national identity off the back of her sick daughter
Sarah struggled through dozens of visits to hospital over her 16 years of life
Sarah was left in the care of good friend Wendy Clark, the mother of convicted baby killer Harley Hicks.
She was reunited with her mum in South Africa about seven months later.
While Innes Mason was convicted of the charges, she is yet to face justice.
A court spokesperson told Daily Mail the court considers the matter ‘closed’ until an arrest is made by police and Innes Mason is brought before the court.
‘At that time, the matter will be reactivated and it will proceed as usual,’ the spokesperson said.
New South Wales Police has confirmed warrants remain active for the arrest of the 45-year old.
Stephen Bowdren, who employed Innes Mason as a bookkeeper at his Albury petrol station, told Daily Mail she stole $250,000 from him in 2017/18 and vanished.
Mr Bowdren claimed he was unaware Innes Mason already had a history of dishonesty when he employed her for the job.
Karina Innes Mason enjoys an African safari while on the run from the law
Karina Innes Mason and her family in South Africa
Karina Innes Mason ripped off a country businessman and sporting club
Innes Mason had appeared in the County Court of Victoria in 2018 where she was convicted of obtaining property by deception linked to a disabled person.
The fugitive fraudster was convicted and sentenced to four months in prison but the sentenced was reduced on appeal in 2019 to a two-year community corrections order – one she never completed after fleeing the country in 2020.
Court documents state Innes Mason was ordered to repay $30,946 to her victim, but it remains unknown if it ever was.
Innes Mason had only been spared jail so she could care for her own children.
‘She ripped me apart,’ Mr Bowdren said.
The devastated business owner said Innes Mason stole his money by accessing his own CCTV to observe him enter passwords to his banking facilities.
‘And when she got my passwords, my pin numbers, she’s made herself very happy from October to February that year,’ he said.
Mr Bowdren said Innes Mason was charged via summons and quickly absconded.
‘She was able to get out of the country … and was convicted in her absence,’ he said.
Karina Innes Mason has tiptoed around the law
Karina Innes Mason has been condemned for ‘scamming’ a charity
‘The judge could not believe what she did to me and also the hockey club.’
That hockey club was the Albury Falcons, which Innes Mason was also convicted of fleecing on the same day she was due to appear over Mr Bowdren’s matters.
Club president Billy Anderson told Daily Mail Australia Innes Mason stole about $30,000 from the club over an 18-month period and blew it on gambling before it was discovered.
The theft threatened to derail the struggling club at the time.
‘They had to work hard to make their money back,’ Mr Bowdren said.
‘She’s a piece of work.’
Mr Bowdren said he never received a penny back from Innes Mason, who continues to live a charmed existence in South Africa.
Images obtained by Daily Mail show the fraudster enjoying African safaris and at one stage treated herself to a $1,000-plus Pandora bracelet.
Karina Innes Mason and her now deceased child Sarah during her wedding
Innes Mason spent some time in the United States working as a book keeper for a law firm before ending up in South Africa.
‘As you sit in front of her, butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. She stole a lot of money and she looks like she’s poor, but she’s a big gambler,’ Mr Bowdren said.
‘She was having Christmas lunch with us, ripping me off at the same time, having eaten our food meanwhile taking money out of my bank account.’
Court records show Innes Mason had previously been taken to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal over unpaid rent.
Hume Council in Melbourne also took Innes Mason to court over similar rental issues.
A Melbourne charity worker, who wished to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail Innes Mason had milked the charity for cash and handouts that could have been used for genuine people in need.
‘Karina was given tens of thousands of dollars worth of help, including bonds for her rental, rent in advance, a household full of furniture, food vouchers, fresh food, and the installation of a full security system,’ the worker said.
‘It is incredibly disappointing when scarce charity money is given to people who are expert scammers and do not need assistance.
A tribute to Sarah, who died in July after an epic fight for life
‘This takes funding away from people who are genuinely struggling. Grassroots charities do not have unlimited funds and we work incredibly hard raising every cent ourselves.’
‘So to realise we have been scammed despite doing our best to ensure funds and support go only to those who need it, is devastating. We are beyond disappointed to learn we gave us much support to someone so heartless, dishonest and undeserving.’
When Mason Innes spoke to Daily Mail a little over a month ago she made no mention of being wanted by the law.
Daily Mail contacted her with a series of questions, which she acknowledged but failed to provide answers to.
Meanwhile a Gofundme initiated by one of her friend’s has raised more than $2,300USD of a $2,500 target.
The money is advertised as being needed to pay for Sarah’s funeral, which purportedly cost about $3,000USD.
One anonymous contributor is listed as donating $500 to the fundraiser, with others throwing in hundreds more at a time.
Sarah’s story made headlines across the country when she was born, with Australians captivated by the little girl’s lust for life.
Karina Innes Mason faces justice upon her return to Australia
Born weighing just 735 grams, just 31cm in length from head to toe, her blood count was so low that she had a blood transfusion just 18 minutes after birth.
‘She was our world, we nicknamed her Sare Bear, because when she was in the NICU when she was finally able to wear clothes. She looked like a little teddy bear,’ Karina told the Daily Mail last month.
‘They didn’t expect her to live much past her first birthday but they also don’t know how or when the constant struggle on the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, that catastrophic multi-organ failure will occur without warning, like it did in Sarah’s case.’
Mr Bowdren described Sarah as a ‘lovely girl’.
‘I met her a number of times through hockey. I’m sorry she’s moved on,’ he said.
Victoria Police refused to say whether there were any outstanding warrants in Victoria for Innes Mason’s arrest due to ‘privacy reasons’.
Anyone with information on Innes Mason’s whereabouts should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
