$950 for sick Love letter

JACOB Riley Love was so desperate to take two sick days off work he told his boss he needed nasal surgery and then faked the doctor’s note.

Yesterday, the 20-year-old was stung $950 after pleading guilty to fraud and forgery charges.

Magistrate Gary Finger fined Love $500 for the fake note and $450 for leaving a crash scene.

Defence lawyer Michael McMillan, of McMillan Criminal Law, said Love had also lost his job as a result of the fake sickie.

The Southport Magistrates Court heard he started working full-time at Powertech Telecommunications in September last year and by December decided he wanted two days off.

He contacted his employer and told them he needed nasal surgery and arranged to have two days off on the provision he provided a sick note.

He was paid $160 for the two sick days. He did not need nasal surgery and was not sick at the time.

It is not clear why Love did not ask to take annual leave.

Mr McMillan said it was not known what Love did with his two days off.

But when it came time to produce the sick note, Love sent his employer an email including a letter from Eastbrooke Medical Centre which was signed by a Dr Ian Platt.

The letter confirmed Love had nasal surgery, but it did not contain any contact details.

Powertech realised the note was a fake and the signatures had been forged and contacted police.

The court also heard Love was involved in a fender bender at the Gooding Drive roundabout in Merrimac on January 22. Love struck the car in front of him so hard it left a numberplate impression on the car.

He did not stop and when police caught up with him, he told them he had no memory of the crash.

Mr McMillan said Love’s forgery of the note was “inexplicable”.

“He lost his job as a result and he makes apologies to his employer,” he said.

Mr McMillan said Love was a young man who had panicked after the crash, causing him to act inappropriately.

The forgery is also expected to harm Love’s future job prospects.

He is currently studying IT and looking for part-time work while he completes his studies.

Love has paid for the repairs to the other car and the insurance excess. He was also ordered to repay his previous employer $160 for the fake sick days. No convictions were recorded.