Accused fraudster has case delayed
POLICE have accused an Upper Lockyer Valley man of fraud and stealing in relation to a rental incident at Toowoomba in 2022.
The accused, John Graham Fraser, appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court in relation to the two charges, stealing and attempted fraud to dishonestly gain benefit, on Wednesday, January 15.
Duty lawyer Nikola Prince said MacDonald Law lodged a Legal Aid form for Mr Fraser, however it was later refused.
Magistrate Kay Phillipson cut in – “well, I was told on the 18th of January it had been approved and a submission was sent”. The court was told the funding issue landed the case back in the arrest court sitting, rather than it progressing further.
Ms Prince said she couldn’t speak to what had occurred, but she was informed that MacDonald Law withdrew from the case on the same morning the case was before the court.
Ms Prince asked for a four week adjournment as the 28year-old planned to pay the law firm Bouchier Khan, to represent him but that it would take Mr Fraser “some time” to get the funds together.
Ms Phillipson said she would not set the matter aside for four weeks, but would do so for three, and told Mr Fraser when he came back he needed to indicate if he was pleading guilty, or not guilty.
“It needs to move along because it was first before the court in November and it is now February,” she said.
Ms Prince said preliminary discussions with Mr Fraser indicated the charges may be contested.
Ms Phillipson enlarged Mr Fraser’s bail and said the matter would next be before the court on March 9.