“It must be hard living in her head.”

That’s how Ashley Kirilow’s psychiatrist summed up his assessment of the Burlington woman, who gained infamy last summer for an elaborate scheme in which she shaved her head and plucked her eyelashes to fake cancer and defraud supporters of thousands of dollars in donations.

Kirilow, 23, who is now living in the psychiatric ward of Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital in Burlington, pleaded guilty Thursday to outstanding fraud charges and was given a 15-month conditional sentence without jail time. She had previously pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud over $5,000.

The total amount Kirilow was convicted of defrauding was approximately $12,000.

Jointly submitted by the Crown and defence, and accepted by Justice Fred Forsythe, the sentence calls for 10 months of house arrest and five months under strict curfew, plus two years probation and 100 hours of community service. Kirilow is also barred from soliciting donations or canvassing for any charitable organization.

For the time being, Kirilow will serve her house arrest at the hospital.

Restitution was not ordered in the case because it would not be practical, both the Crown and defence lawyers said, noting the real damage had been done to the victim’s trust, not their wallets.

No family members, friends or victims were present in court.

Kirilow, her light brown hair now grown passed her shoulders, declined an opportunity to make any statement in court, but her lawyer, Brendan Neil, said she wants to personally apologize to those she deceived sometime in the future.

The portrait of Kirilow that emerged from Thursday’s court proceedings was of a young woman who was severely traumatized by a dysfunctional childhood and desperately craved love and attention from others.

Kirilow had told the Toronto Star in previous interviews she had concocted the scheme to get back at her parents for her unhappy upbringing.

Crown attorney Brian O’Marra said Kirilow’s “principle motivation” in committing the fraud was attention, not money. “I suggest she craved the attention,” he said.

Forsythe added later that Kirilow seemed to be “intoxicated” by the sympathy of others.

Neil said a psychiatrist at Joseph Brant was looking into the possibility that Kirilow was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder relating to her childhood, but he had not yet made that diagnosis.

Neil said his client has been preliminarily diagnosed with having the traits of a number of mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression and other personality disorders. She is on a “cocktail” of psychiatric drugs, he told the court.

Neil added, however, that Kirilow was still taking responsibility for her actions. “This isn’t a poor Ashley show.”

Kirilow’s psychiatrist, whom Neil identified only as Dr. Turner, said he could not support any recommendation that would see Kirilow live with her family, calling it “a recipe for disaster.”

Kirilow’s parents, who were teenagers when their daughter was born and separated when she was two, admit their breakup was messy and police had to be called on occasion to enforce custody disputes.

Kirilow began telling people she had cancer after having a benign cyst removed from her breast in November 2008.

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What began as a single lie to garner sympathy from her boyfriend at the time spiralled into an extended project of fraud and deceit. She initially accepted personal donations from supporters, but later raised cash through “Change for a Cure,” a bogus charity consisting of little more than a Facebook page. At its peak, “Change for a Cure” had more than 4,000 members.

Kirilow surrendered to police Aug. 6, 2010, the same day the Star exposed her scam. She spent two weeks in jail before being released on bail.

Kirilow’s lawyer said she is looking into educational pursuits, but is focusing at the moment on her mental health.