The wife of swimming legend Geoff Huegill has been ordered to cough up $2,000 to another business that paid her for publicity work she never delivered.
Sara Huegill, 35, was last month ordered to pay $2,105 to ‘AinaSwim’ founder Claire Hall, who employed Huegill to perform publicity work through her business Row A PR.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision was the second default judgement against Ms Huegill, after a New South Wales court ordered her to pay $3,540 to a bikini business in June.
Despite the legal findings, both businesses said they have not been paid.
And they aren’t alone, with Daily Mail Australia able to reveal that at least eight other businesses who paid for Ms Huegill’s services claim they are stilll out of pocket a combined $35,140, including the amount owed to Hall.
Sara Huegill (right), the disgraced wife of swimming legend Geoff (left), has been ordered to cough up $2,000 to a bikini business that paid her for publicity services she never delivered
Ms Huegill, 35, was last month ordered to by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to pay ‘AinaSwim’ founder Claire Hall (pictured) $2,105. Ms Hall had employed her publicity label Row A PR to promote her business, but claims Ms Huegill never performed the work promised
The VCAT decision in favour of Ainaswim came after Ms Huegill was ordered to pay ‘I Dream of Bikini’, another swimwear brand, $3,540 by Sutherland Local Court.
But not all businesses have been willing to risk more money to recoup what they lost.
Despite being out of pocket close to $6,500, Island Boheme founder Natalia Lydford said it eventually got to a point where it was easier to just give up.
‘I’m a small business owner and a single mum, I just didn’t have the room to lose that money,’ Ms Lydford said.
‘She set a strategy, but just didn’t follow up. I pushed her quite hard and occasionally she would come back with an outlandish excuse.
‘I’ve just given it up. I think she has got to be super sick to be doing what I’m doing.’
It was a similar experience for Anna Scott, owner of Your Skin clinic in the exclusive Sydney suburb of Edgecliff.
Ms Scott was left approximately $2,500 out of pocket after paying Ms Huegill for PR work she claims was never delivered, while also providing free skin treatments.
‘She’s just a waste of my time. I’m putting it down as a bad mistake,’ she said.
‘I’m not going to chase her through the courts because I just don’t want to waste any more money on her.’
Natalia Lydford, the founder of swimwear brand Island Boheme (pictured), has given up on her efforts to recoup any of the $6,500 she claims she is owed by Ms Huegill
Kumi Xu, founder of a sports luxe label (pictured) by the same name, paid a $5,500 retainer to Ms Huegill and saw no PR work in return. She too is no longer chasing the lost money
Before starting her own Row A PR business, Ms Huegill (pictured) worked for Sydney publicity maven Roxy Jacenko
Kumi Xu, founder of a sports luxe label by the same name, said that after paying Ms Huegill a $5,500 retainer she tried to get more money out of her.
‘I had one incident which really stood out – Sara claimed to have selected the wrong option to send out our items (gifting) via courier,’ Ms Xu said.
‘She added an additional 2,000 and asked me to pay for this.
‘When I said no, she asked for even $300. I asked to see the courier invoice from the company and she refused.’
Messages between Ms Huegill and another of her clients reveal how she continually put off doing work for them.
The public relations specialist solicited work from Alysha Bishop’s Bella Bikini brand via Instagram late last year.
But Ms Bishop’s dream of a summer publicity campaign – to drum up business at the most important time of the year – never became reality.
In messages to the young business owner, Ms Huegill claimed the work was delayed because she was unwell in hospital.
That was followed by claims a ‘big event’ had delayed the work.
Later on Ms Huegill said she was not able to read emails because she had bought a new computer and her old device was at the Apple Store, but that the agreed work ‘will be with you by tonight’.
Messages between Ms Huegill and another of her clients Alysha Bishop’s Bella Bikini, reveal how she repeatedly put off doing work for them
Ms Bishop paid $3,300 to Ms Huegill, had dreams of a summer publicity campaign – to drum up business at the most important time of the year – that never became reality
!['Your [sic] in good hands': Ms Huegill promised her new client](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/08/08/04/4EEA257700000578-6034269-_Your_sic_in_good_hands_Ms_Huegill_promised_her_new_client-a-53_1533697932152.jpg)
In messages to the young business owner, Ms Huegill claimed the work was delayed because she was experiencing computer issues… before radio silence
It comes as Ms Huegill (pictured) is due to face court on Friday over allegations she stole a pair of $1,900 leather pants from a Byron Bay store in May
But Ms Bishop says it never was.
As it was later discovered, Row A PR was deregistered at the time of the transactions.
Revelations of the enormity of Ms Huegill’s business dealings come just days before she is due to again face a Byron Bay court over allegations she stole a pair of $1,900 leather pants.
It’s alleged that while out shopping on Mother’s Day this year, she stole the pants from a boutique clothing store.
After being confronted by staff, it’s alleged Ms Huegill ran from the store and through the streets of Byron Bay.
During a court hearing in June, a lawyer acting on behalf of Ms Huegill applied for an adjournment so she could undergo a mental health examination, commonly called a ‘Section 32’.