A Launceston man falsely claimed $1000 from a federal government agency set up to benefit the victims of the Townsville floods in 2019, the Launceston Magistrates Court heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
James Airey, 22, who was living in Queensland at the time, pleaded guilty to providing false information to the Australian Disaster Recovery Agency between February 6 and February 8, 2019.
Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions prosecutor Roslyn Shaw told the court that Airey had provided false information to obtain a financial advantage of $1000.
In other news:
She told Magistrate Sharon Cure that Airey contacted the agency by phone telling them that he had been the occupant of a flat in Queens Road, Townsville, which had to be evacuated.
However, while the flat cited by Airey was in fact evacuated a landlord told the agency that Airey had never been a tenant.
"The information provided on the rent certificate was false," she said.
"He did not reside at that address and was not eligible for the payment."
Airey told Ms Cure that it was his brother-in-law's idea and that "it wasn't me who made the phone call".
"He told me it was an easy way to get money and he helped me and now it has backfired on me," he said.
He said he had used the money for furniture.
Airey, who had prior convictions for destroying property and possession of stolen property, said he was paying back the money at a rate of $20-25 a fortnight.
Ms Shaw said it was not a trivial offence because there was a degree of planning and it had exploited a process aimed at getting money quickly to flood victims.
Ms Cure found the complaint proven and ordered that he be of good behaviour for two years.