Former star basketballer stole goods

A FORMER Cairns representative basketball player blames his professional career for a gambling addiction that led him to steal from his employer and friends to fund his habit.

Michael Demertze, 24, who played for the Cairns Marlins, took many personal items from those who offered him a place to stay and pawned the stolen property.

He pleaded guilty in the Cairns Magistrates Court yesterday to 19 offences including multiple counts of fraud, stealing and burglaries.

He was jailed for 14 months and given the benefit of immediate parole after Magistrate Alan Comans said he had good prospects of rehabilitation citing his age and his job.

Demertze was ordered to pay $1725 compensation.

His offending spree, from mid last year to early this year included stealing furniture items while he was an employee of Early Settler Cairns.

The court was also told how he took advantage of his friends and associates by stealing from them when they were trying to help him out.

While staying at one victim’s house he ransacked the Good Samaritan’s car for money.

Another victim took pity on Demertze after hearing he’d been sleeping in his car. He repaid her kindness by stealing a Go Pro and equipment from her room.

And another time he took a car without permission and drove it to a pawn shop after a friend had let him stay at her place while she was away.

The court was told he had a troubled childhood and has sought help for his issues.

Demertze has played representative basketball in Cairns and Townsville.

“The negative feature that comes from his exposure … playing professional sport was his exposure to gambling as well,” defence solicitor Joseph Crawfoot said.

“That’s something that’s gone, to some degree unchecked, in (his) life … and really is the basis for much of this offending.” His offending occurred while on bail and breached a probation order.

THE NEGATIVE FEATURE THAT COMES FROM HIS EXPOSURE TO PLAYING PROFESSIONAL SPORT WAS HIS EXPOSURE TO GAMBLING