A Winnipeg woman arrested after she stole nearly $120,000 from her non-profit employer threatened to commit suicide if she didn't receive a conditional sentence served in the community.

"I have my plan in place for suicide if this is not what I get," Gabriella Comeault was quoted as telling a probation officer in a pre-sentence report submitted to court at her sentencing hearing Thursday.

Comeault, 57, told a probation officer she was "open to house arrest ... but I have an aversion to jail."

Comeault got what she wanted. Judge Murray Thompson sentenced her to two years house arrest followed by three years supervised probation.

Thompson said he "saw through (Comeault's) attempts to control the process" but concluded her risk of reoffending could be managed in the community.

Comeault pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and two counts of identification fraud in connection with offences committed between January 2010 and October 2011.

Comeault was office manager for L'Avenir Co-operatives, a non-profit organization that provides supports for people living with physical or mental disabilities. Court heard Comeault created bogus employment records for two people -- one who had applied to work at L'Avenir but was not hired and another who was no longer working at L'Avenir -- and then pocketed their paycheques.

The fraud unravelled after the two "employees" were contacted by Canada Revenue Agency and told they owed taxes in connection with their employment at L'Avenir.

In a tearful address to the court, Comeault blamed her actions on a long-standing gambling addiction.

"I let the addiction take control of me," she said. "My thoughts were always at the casino. I had no thoughts of consequences, only of winning the big one ... I do believe I deserve the most severe punishment and I thought it included (paying) with my own death."

Court heard Comeault has declared bankruptcy and her husband is struggling to keep their home.

In a pre-sentence report, Comeault's three daughters described her as a manipulative and controlling woman not above using threats or threats of suicide to get her way.

Crown attorney Danielle Simard recommended Comeault be sentenced to one year in jail, noting comments by one daughter suggesting she is a "homebody" who would be happy to serve a conditional sentence.

A conditional sentence "would be of little inconvenience to her," Simard said. "This is not punitive as the offence calls for."

In court, Comeault's husband and daughters sat on one side of the gallery while Comeault and her elderly mother sat on the other.

"That action speaks louder than words," Thompson said. "She has estranged her family in many ways."

Thompson ordered that Comeault perform 480 hours of community service work before the end of her probation and pay $100 a month in restitution.