Kane Scott Dallow pleads guilty to more than 20 dishonesty offences
A Tasmanian con-man has admitted his elaborate fraud scheme was designed to make his fake media company look legitimate after pleading guilty to 21 criminal charges.
A notorious Tasmanian con-man’s extensive dishonesty related back to his attempts to establish a self styled media operation, the Supreme Court in Launceston heard.
Kane Scott Dallow, 45, pleaded guilty to a total of 21 indictable criminal offences including perverting the course of justice, fraud, forgery, uttering and attempting to commit fraud, dishonestly attempting to gain a financial advantage for amounts up to $60,000 between 2018 and 2023.
Dallow wrote a letter to Justice Robert Pearce as part of his mitigation.
Justice Robert Pearce sought more detail asking Dallow, who was not represented by a lawyer, whether gambling was an explanation for his dishonesty.
“I did have a gambling habit but since I’ve been married I haven’t gambled,” he said.
Dallow said the dishonesty was for appearances in relation to the media company he tried to establish TasNews 24.
“The situation was that I talked to Rodney [Richards] from Vigilante News...,” he said.
Justice Pearce cut him off to ask whether the applications for credit were for that purpose.
“It was to get a vehicle to make it look official and I got signwriting to make it look official,” he said.
“I struggled with the mainstream media in Tasmania, it was never...,” Dallow said before failing to finish the sentence.
“It was just an image.”
Justice Pearce asked him if he would seek treatment so that he could tell the difference between fantasy and reality.
“Is that your intent?” he asked.
“Yes,” Dallow replied.
Dallow was extradited from Queensland after fleeing Tasmania in April 2024 shortly before his Supreme Court trial. He pleaded guilty to a raft of charges in the Launceston Magistrates Court last month.
The court heard that in 2020 he made defamatory videos about Tasmanian parliamentarian Michael Ferguson.
He was jailed for nine months in 2021 for four counts of contempt of court after he defied a Federal Court order to stop screening the videos.
Principal Crown counsel Peter Sherriff said that a count of perverting justice in 2021 related to Dallow’s attempt to dissuade a Federal Court judge from allowing an interlocutory application.
A number of counts related to attempts to get credit from financial institutions using driver’s licence and date of birth details from friends and acquaintances.
He pleaded guilty to fraud for providing false details to Toyota Australia which to gain a benefit of $59,704 and that he would be able to afford repayments.
The court heard that Dallows dishonesty included uttering forged documents purportedly from NAB and Australia Post to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
Mr Sherriff said Dallow had convictions in South Australia and Tasmania.
Dallow told Justice Pearce that he was assaulted in Risdon Prison and had suffered an acquired brain injury.
Sentencing was adjourned until February 11, 2026.
More Coverage
Originally published as Kane Scott Dallow pleads guilty to more than 20 dishonesty offences
