A Tasmanian man, Damian John Barrett, has managed to avoid serving jail time despite being found guilty of six counts of fraud in the Supreme Court in Burnie. Barrett, aged 38, confessed to misusing his employer’s fuel card by purchasing diesel and petrol worth $24,208.06 for his personal vehicles.
He also admitted to using the card to fill up 44-gallon drums with fuel and selling them to his friends. The court learned that Barrett’s fraudulent activities began after his wife abruptly left him, causing significant upheaval and distress. Over a span of six months from May to November 2021, Barrett exploited Roadways Pty Ltd’s fuel card for his personal gain. Surveillance footage from a Caltex fuel card revealed his involvement in the irregular fuel transactions.
Although Barrett’s employment was terminated due to unrelated disciplinary matters, he exhibited remorse and expressed a willingness to obtain a personal loan to repay the company. Despite acknowledging his regret, Justice Tamara Jago described his actions as unquestionably dishonest, involving a blatant manipulation of his employer’s system for financial advantage.
While Justice Jago deemed a period of imprisonment necessary, she decided to suspend the seven-month sentence for a two-year probationary period. The suspended sentence aims to offer Barrett an opportunity to demonstrate stability and prevent a recurrence of such misconduct in light of recent changes in his life.
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