A senior public servant who stole nearly $160,000 from his employer, the Australian Sports Commission, has been jailed for his crimes. The 46-year-old, whose name has been suppressed by the court, was an assistant director at the commission in 2015 when he started stealing from the Commonwealth body. He was investigated and then charged in 2017, immediately pleading guilty to the crimes. The sentencing judge said although the man had pleaded guilty straight away, had since paid back everything he stole, had suffered poor mental health at the time of the crimes, had no relevant criminal history and was undoubtedly remorseful, he would still spend time behind bars. Justice David Mossop jailed the man for 12 months, to serve at least four months of that full time in the Alexander Maconochie Centre. At the time of the offences in 2015, the man was working at the Australian Sports Commission but also managing difficulties at home. His wife was ill and he worked full time, and had his own health scares. They had two children and he was managing the build of their new home. His wife told the court the man committed the crimes at a time "where he could not see a way out of competing demands that were upon him". The crimes were not particularly sophisticated or innovative, the judge said, but they did require a high degree of premeditation and planning. "It involved a course of thoroughly dishonest conduct over a substantial period of just over four months," Justice Mossop said. The court heard that as part of his job the man had a financial delegation approval of $100,000. He was also the sole director of a company he had set up several years earlier that was unrelated and largely dormant. In January 2015, he had his company registered as a service provider with the commission. Between January 2015 and June 2015, the man falsely acknowledged receipt of services from his own company and either approved payment of the invoice or, if the amount was over $5000, directed a colleague to raise a purchase order to allow the invoice to be processed. Among the false invoices claimed were $3740 for building works for a volleyball office, about $5000 for construction works at the Australian Institute of Sport rowing building in Yarralumla, and $40,000 for AIS Arena preliminary construction works. In total the man submitted and approved payment of $159,635.90 to his company in 11 invoices. He was at the time getting a salary from the commission. The man was eventually charged in 2017, and he pleaded guilty to obtaining a financial advantage from another person by deception. By the time he was sentenced last month, the man had paid back all he had stolen. The judge jailed the man for 12 months, with four months to be served full time. He will have to enter into a good behaviour order on his release in June, and give security of $1000.
A senior public servant who stole nearly $160,000 from his employer, the Australian Sports Commission, has been jailed for his crimes.
The 46-year-old, whose name has been suppressed by the court, was an assistant director at the commission in 2015 when he started stealing from the Commonwealth body.
He was investigated and then charged in 2017, immediately pleading guilty to the crimes.
The sentencing judge said although the man had pleaded guilty straight away, had since paid back everything he stole, had suffered poor mental health at the time of the crimes, had no relevant criminal history and was undoubtedly remorseful, he would still spend time behind bars.
Justice David Mossop jailed the man for 12 months, to serve at least four months of that full time in the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
At the time of the offences in 2015, the man was working at the Australian Sports Commission but also managing difficulties at home.
His wife was ill and he worked full time, and had his own health scares. They had two children and he was managing the build of their new home.
His wife told the court the man committed the crimes at a time "where he could not see a way out of competing demands that were upon him".
The crimes were not particularly sophisticated or innovative, the judge said, but they did require a high degree of premeditation and planning.
"It involved a course of thoroughly dishonest conduct over a substantial period of just over four months," Justice Mossop said.
The court heard that as part of his job the man had a financial delegation approval of $100,000.
He was also the sole director of a company he had set up several years earlier that was unrelated and largely dormant.
In January 2015, he had his company registered as a service provider with the commission.
Between January 2015 and June 2015, the man falsely acknowledged receipt of services from his own company and either approved payment of the invoice or, if the amount was over $5000, directed a colleague to raise a purchase order to allow the invoice to be processed.
Among the false invoices claimed were $3740 for building works for a volleyball office, about $5000 for construction works at the Australian Institute of Sport rowing building in Yarralumla, and $40,000 for AIS Arena preliminary construction works.
In total the man submitted and approved payment of $159,635.90 to his company in 11 invoices. He was at the time getting a salary from the commission.
The man was eventually charged in 2017, and he pleaded guilty to obtaining a financial advantage from another person by deception.
By the time he was sentenced last month, the man had paid back all he had stolen.
The judge jailed the man for 12 months, with four months to be served full time.
He will have to enter into a good behaviour order on his release in June, and give security of $1000.
