Victim became a friend

A CROOK who took on another man’s identity to rack up a $7000 credit card debt has since become good mates with his victim, a court has heard.

The Geelong Magistrates’ Court was told yesterday the quirky friendship had developed between Thomas Bliss and his victim, despite the 31year-old’s trail of deception.

The victim was on a vacation in late 2017 when Bliss used the man’s identity documents to apply for a credit card and an Optus SIM card.

Within eight days, Bliss used the credit card for dozens of transactions — including cash advances — on his way to accruing a $6900 debt.

Prosecutor Senior-Constable Kerrie Moroney said the victim discovered the deception and alerted the lending company, which had since incurred the entire debt.

Bliss, of Newtown, pleaded guilty yesterday to more than 20 charges of theft by deception.

The offending took place while Bliss was house-sitting the man’s home.

The court was told the victim was a cousin to Bliss’ fiancee, who was also looking after the property at the time. Defence lawyer Michael Vines said a close bond had blossomed during the two years that had passed since his client committed the crimes.

“Remarkably, the victim is one of his good friends,” Mr Vines said.

He told the court Bliss was in the grips of a “serious uncontrollable drug addiction” at the time and later spent four months in jail for similar offending.

The expectant father had made significant inroads to turning his life around, Mr Vines said, and that included an abstinence from drugs since being released from prison.

He said Bliss was now working two jobs and regularly volunteered at a local church to provide food to the less fortunate.

“He is a completely different person now,” Mr Vines said. “The change is remarkable.”

Magistrate Julie Grainger said while the offending was serious and involved a breach of trust, another jail term would undo Bliss’s rehabilitation.

Instead she fined him $3000 and ordered him to repay a further $6908.84 to the lending company.