No jail over forgery
FORMER Liberal Party identity, Kurt Reiter, claimed he drank one litre of vodka before forging his mother’s and sister’s signatures on statutory declarations to try to avoid bankruptcy.
“I was still drunk when I put it in the post next day,” he said.
Reiter, 43, of Sheepwash Rd, Barwon Heads, pleaded guilty in Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday to forgery.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Geoff Lamb said that, during 2015, Reiter found himself in financial crisis and was bordering on bankruptcy.
“Between December and January Reiter requested his mother and sister sign statutory declarations saying that he owed them $1034 and $145,000 respectively,” SenConstable Lamb said.
“Both parties refused to sign the statutory declarations and, on January 12, Reiter falsified their signatures.
“He also falsified the signature of a Justice of the Peace to say he had witnessed both women signing the documents.”
The prosecutor said Reiter attended Bellarine Police Station on January 17 with a four page statement admitting falsifying the signatures.
“He said he was remorseful and had been desperate not to be declared bankrupt,” Sen- Constable Lamb said. Reiter said that, at the time of the offending, he had been up all night and drank a litre of vodka.
“I prepared the documents, forged the signatures and was still drunk when I put it in the post next day,” he said.
Reiter said he had some mental health issues and was currently on strong medication to address his alcohol issues.
Magistrate Frank Jones placed him on a Community Corrections Order without conviction, to perform 100 hours of unpaid community work. “You can clean graffiti off walls, give you time to think, that could be very beneficial,” Mr Jones said.