Footy fraudster Lindsay Bassani who wants detention bracelet removed played just handful of reserve games
A FOOTBALLER sentenced to home detention for theft who wants to remove his ankle bracelet to play matches played just a handful of reserves games for a division six amateur team last year.
A FOOTBALLER sentenced to home detention for theft who wants to remove his ankle bracelet to play matches played just a handful of reserves games for a division six amateur team last year.
Lindsay Bassani’s lawyers this week urged magistrate Ian White to allow him to remove the monitoring anklet to play football, because he was paid to play, which constituted “remunerated employment”.
Bassani was sentenced to 14 months with a six-month non parole period after admitting to unlawfully using $9,000 of taxpayer money to buy household items while in charge of the SA Aboriginal Sports Training Academy.
The 38-year old purchased a 24-hour gymnasium while on bail for the fraud, meaning he can leave his home at any hour to undertake paid employment.
Bassani, who was paid when he coached the Echunga Football Club to a premiership, played six games for West Croydon’s reserves and C-grade teams last season.
The Advertiser understands that no West Croydon player is paid, unlike many other amateur clubs.
West Croydon Football Club president Scott Weinert yesterday said he was unsure whether Bassani planned to play at the club next season but said he was yet to register.
Yesterday, Opposition justice spokeswoman Vickie Chapman said Bassani’s case highlighted “a fatal flaw” in the government’s new legislation, which allows offenders to serve their prison term on home detention if they are not deemed a risk to the public.
“The public expects that a prisoner on home detention will still have the privileges of freedom withdrawn, but understands they’re allowed to work,” Ms Chapman said.
“To say a self-employed person can be absent their home prison 24 hours a day, or go play football because someone’s paying them, is definitely not what the public expects.
Ms Chapman said she would demand the legislation be amended before the end of the year to close the “loopholes” of what constitutes employment.
“That’s what needs to be defined as, clearly, it’s ripe for abuse,” she said.
“Self-employed offenders will be able to claim that, technically, they’re always working and those paid for sport or other activities will do the same.”
Ms Chapman said that could lead to convicted criminals socialising, completely legally, with sporting clubs or other groups because they were paid to play or participate.
“The public expects an offender to be allowed to work for a period of a day, usually a shift of eight hours, not to move about freely,” she said.
Attorney-General John Rau refused to speak about Bassani’s case, saying it was “not appropriate for me to comment on individual cases.”
“The courts have considerable discretion to impose conditions on home detention orders,” Mr Rau said.
“The law permits review of these terms where appropriate. The courts are best placed to determine individual cases, not the Parliament.”
Prisoners have previously been given permission to play sport “where it may assist rehabilitation”.