A mother of five with no criminal history who was prosecuted harshly by the Australian Tax Office has spoken for the first time about the torment she has suffered.

Julie Clarke, a pseudonym provided by the Supreme Court, was on bail for seven years, at one stage reporting to a police station three times per week.

“We’ve lived under chronic stress and pressure. The torment has permeated through every part of our lives,” she said.

The 57-year-old businesswoman was targeted by the ATO over claiming a tax offset on a therapeutic drug she was developing to treat cancer, obesity and diabetes.

The tax office’s seven-year pursuit of her was brought to a permanent stop by the Brisbane Supreme Court in October with Justice Paul Smith delivering a withering assessment of its conduct.

“The court

See Full Page