Daniel Clark remanded in custody after he stole over $200k from a not-for-profit company

A former not-for-profit executive officer has been remanded in custody after it was revealed he spent over $60k at a London sex club in only two days.

Daniel Luke Clark was remanded in custody on Monday. Picture: Supplied

A former not-for-profit boss who spent over $200k at strip clubs and massage parlours has been remanded in custody just over a month before he is to be sentenced.

Daniel Luke Clark appeared in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday for sentencing submissions when Magistrate Jayanthi Pandya revoked his bail.

Magistrate Pandya said it should be of no surprise that Clark was at risk of having his bail revoked after stealing funds from the SA Sports Medicine Association and spending them on “items of personal gratification”.

Daniel Luke Clark previously pleaded guilty to stealing more than $200,000 from the South Australian Sports Medicine Association over five years.

“I hope that you had an expectation that that might’ve been something that would happen,” she said.

“Over a period of five years, it wasn’t just taking money, it was taking money and spending it and taking it again and spending it again.

“This is not a person who is on the bones of society and can’t put a roof over his head, can’t eat … this is a man who’s taking to spend on items of personal gratification.”

Between December 2015 and December 2020, Clark, 42, stole $216,380 from SASMA while employed as its executive officer and spent it at strip clubs and massage parlours.

In August, he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dishonestly deal with property without owner’s consent and one count of dishonest dealings with documents.

Dr David Spurrier, former president of SASMA, delivered a victim impact statement on behalf of the not-for-profit saying Clark’s actions “almost ended the organisation”.

“When Clark left the association in April 2021, we were only aware of the initial fraud amount of $65,061.33 that was spent at a London sex club over two days in August 2019,” he said.

“It was only in September 2022 when the full extent of Clark’s fraud was uncovered while reviewing annual subscriptions the Association had in a bid to save money.

“We uncovered that Clark commenced falsifying documents – including tax invoices, balance sheets, financial reports et cetera – and committing fraud over a five-year period, from 2015 up until November 2020 when at this point he went on personal leave.”

John Edwards, defence counsel for Clark, said his client had recently gained employment at a transport company and was working towards paying SASMA back the remaining debt of over $100,000.

“He has regained employment in very difficult circumstances,” he said.

“The interests of all involved, including the association, but the community more generally will be best served by Mr Clark remaining in the community.

“He is determined to make a go of it and make sure that if he is allowed to remain in the community, he will continue to be a productive member.”

Supporters of Clark in the body of the court burst into tears as he was remanded in custody.

He will be sentenced next month.