A PRISONER used the names of two fellow inmates - notorious Northern Tasmanian murderers - in order to defraud Centrelink, a court has heard. Michael John Cowie, 33, applied for Newstart allowance using the names of Bradley Rex Lambert and Andrew John Semmens, the Launceston Magistrates Court was told on Tuesday. Lambert is serving a 42-year sentence for the double axe murder, with co-offender Darryn Stokes, of Lehman Joseph McHugh and his son Anthony at Penguin in September 2004. Semmens is serving 20 years' jail for the murder of stranger Nathan John Woolley at Ravenswood in December 2008, where he smashed a block of wood against Mr Woolley's head while co-offender Nathan Patrick Mayne restrained Mr Woolley. Commonwealth prosecutor Simone Wilson told the court Lambert's expected release date was 2046, while Semmens was due for release in 2029. Cowie chose the names of those sentenced prisoners because they were serving longer sentences. Ms Wilson also said Cowie used the name of his cousin, Stuart James Stafford, who had never been imprisoned in Tasmania. Cowie used the three names to claim about $6700 in welfare to which he was not entitled between May and August 2012. Magistrate Simon Brown, in sentencing, acknowledged that Cowie had pleaded guilty to three counts of having obtained a financial advantage. He said Cowie's defence solicitor Alan Hensley had dubbed his client's conduct "a novel way" to commit the offence. "In my experience it appears to be," Mr Brown said. However, Mr Brown said Cowie's offending involved thought and planning. He noted Cowie's prior convictions in NSW, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. Cowie had previously served probation and supervision, jail, suspended sentences and failed drug treatment orders. Mr Brown jailed Cowie for five months, backdated to June 19, and made a reparation order in favour of the Commonwealth for $6702.27.
A PRISONER used the names of two fellow inmates - notorious Northern Tasmanian murderers - in order to defraud Centrelink, a court has heard.
Michael John Cowie, 33, applied for Newstart allowance using the names of Bradley Rex Lambert and Andrew John Semmens, the Launceston Magistrates Court was told on Tuesday.
Lambert is serving a 42-year sentence for the double axe murder, with co-offender Darryn Stokes, of Lehman Joseph McHugh and his son Anthony at Penguin in September 2004.
Semmens is serving 20 years' jail for the murder of stranger Nathan John Woolley at Ravenswood in December 2008, where he smashed a block of wood against Mr Woolley's head while co-offender Nathan Patrick Mayne restrained Mr Woolley.
Commonwealth prosecutor Simone Wilson told the court Lambert's expected release date was 2046, while Semmens was due for release in 2029.
Cowie chose the names of those sentenced prisoners because they were serving longer sentences.
Ms Wilson also said Cowie used the name of his cousin, Stuart James Stafford, who had never been imprisoned in Tasmania.
Cowie used the three names to claim about $6700 in welfare to which he was not entitled between May and August 2012.
Magistrate Simon Brown, in sentencing, acknowledged that Cowie had pleaded guilty to three counts of having obtained a financial advantage.
He said Cowie's defence solicitor Alan Hensley had dubbed his client's conduct "a novel way" to commit the offence.
"In my experience it appears to be," Mr Brown said.
However, Mr Brown said Cowie's offending involved thought and planning.
He noted Cowie's prior convictions in NSW, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.
Cowie had previously served probation and supervision, jail, suspended sentences and failed drug treatment orders.
Mr Brown jailed Cowie for five months, backdated to June 19, and made a reparation order in favour of the Commonwealth for $6702.27.
