Registrar hacked court computer to create fake intervention order

A judicial registrar hacked into a court's computer system and created a false intervention order against a friend's ex-partner, and entered a magistrate's identification to have it issued.

Sara Borg was working at Werribee Magistrates Court on October 25, 2018 when she insisted a colleague take a lunch break and then locked the court room.

Borg used two registrars' log-in details to create an intervention order against a woman, and typed in a magistrate's judicial number to issue the order, the County Court heard on Friday.

The hack was done to help a friend involved in a custody dispute with his former partner over their daughter.

Borg sent it to South Australian police so it would be issued on the woman. In the following days, Borg travelled interstate to pose as her friend's lawyer in their attempts to have the order served.

Prosecutor Diana Hogan said Borg had from September 2018 sent the woman emails, some from her Magistrates Court address, claimed she was a lawyer and outlining proposed plans for custody of the girl.

Police tried to serve the order but became suspicious, and Borg resigned from her job when the trace led to her.

She later told investigators, "I don't know what the f--- I was thinking."

Borg has pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office, making and using false documents and unauthorised access with intent to commit a serious crime.

The 40-year-old, who was a registrar for 10 years, texted an apology to another colleague in the days before she quit but said she would "pay the ultimate price" through the loss of her job, friends at work and dream of practising law. She resigned in October 2018.

But a month later, Borg sent a text message to her friend that read, "Haha I didn’t lose my job for that c--- to get away with keeping a child from her father."

The woman sent the order told police she was distraught, upset and feared she would be arrested when she learnt of the order.

The magistrate told police she was distressed the crime happened in her court and was "plagued" by what could have happened given a child was involved. Judge Fran Dalziel said the entire justice system was a victim.

"She completely took advantage of her access to do this," Judge Dalziel said.

Defence counsel Fiona Todd said Borg's actions were serious, but naive, clumsy and doomed to fail. She called for the mother of two young children to avoid prison.

Her client had "destroyed her life" with her conduct, but her violent marriage and the strain of being away from her children made her case to be spared prison exceptional. Prosecutors are not pushing for prison.

Psychologist Patrick Newton said Borg was anxious, depressed and remorseful and intervened in her friend's custody dispute because she believed he was suicidal at not seeing his daughter.

Borg was previously deeply affected by the suicides of friends and people at work, Mr Newton said.

She remains on bail and will be sentenced at a later date.

Her friend was never charged.