Card fraud fed gambling

A MAN who stole almost $300,000 from his employer to fund gambling on horse racing will spend at least 15 months behind bars.

The Supreme Court in Hobart yesterday heard Jordan Anthony Stuart, 27, was an assistant financial accountant at financial services company IOOF when he fraudulently obtained $292,955 between January 20 and mid-July last year.

Stuart had previously pleaded guilty to 10 charges that included multiple counts of computer-related fraud and entering false data as well as one count of fraud.

The court heard Stuart had developed a “significant obsession with horse racing and gambling” and would often transfer his entire pay into an online betting account and bet until the money was gone.

Justice Gregory Geason said after the break-up of a long-term relationship, Stuart’s behaviour became erratic and he was drinking heavily.

The judge said Stuart racked up a gambling debt of $35,000 in his own name, which is still owed.

“It is put to me that you found the impulse to gamble simply overwhelming,” Justice Geason said.

He said Stuart had since closed his online betting ac- counts and had agreed to a self-imposed gambling ban.

“You are obviously a capable person,” Justice Geason said.

“The challenge for you is to marshal the positives and get on with your life once you have served this sentence.”

He said Stuart had no relevant prior convictions.

The court heard Stuart was solely responsible for IOOF’s corporate credit cards and he made fraudulent payments from Pay Pal accounts linked to the cards into his own Pay Pal account.

His fraud also included using the cards to buy gift cards and vouchers and a laptop computer that he then sold on Gumtree for cash.

Stuart concealed his activities by entering false data in IOOF’s computer systems.

The fraud charge related to a university course IOOF agreed to pay for Stuart. The court heard Stuart withdrew from the unit and asked for the refund of $1255 be paid into his personal bank account.

The judge said the fraud was uncovered after an IOOF credit card holder became concerned his card was being used to make fraudulent payments.

Stuart was sacked on July 11 last year and made admissions to auditors in August last year.

Stuart was sentenced to 2½ years’ jail and will be eligible to apply for parole after serving half of that sentence.