Pair accused of $75,000 bushfire compensation fraud don’t want to keeping ‘forking out’ court appearance costs

The court heard the husband and wife’s solicitor labelled bail conditions “extremely onerous” for the pair accused of claiming money fraudulently through bushfire grant assistance.

Police arrested a man and a woman in East Lismore over bushfire fraud offences.

The lawyer representing the husband and wife duo at the centre of an East Lismore bushfire compensation fraud has labelled their bail “extremely onerous” as he asked for more lenient conditions.

Rebecca Jane and Stuart Rob Allan were both excused from appearing when their matter was heard in Lismore Local Court on July 28.

It is alleged the pair claimed more than $75,000 dollars fraudulently through bushfire grant assistance and tried to claim compensation through insurance.

Police will allege in court the man claimed he lost more than 3000 head of cattle during the 2019 bushfires and attempted to claim compensation through an insurance company.

Mr Allen is also accused of applying for several NSW Government grant schemes for bushfire assistance

In June 2020, officers from the Richmond Police District Rural Crime Prevention Team commenced Strike Force Munyana to investigate alleged fraudulent claims for grant money through a NSW Government scheme by a 34-year-old man and 33-year-old woman.

On Wednesday, the court heard the “difficult and complex” matter was still going through the system and a brief was not yet compliant, according to the DPP prosecutor.

He also indicated the pair hoped to have bail varied to report to Lismore Police Station one day a week.

The pair’s bail currently orders they not leave the Lismore or Casino area.

The prosecutor noted the duo’s home lease had recently expired, and they had trouble finding an alternative address with their bail conditions.

“It’s extremely difficult to obtain rental properties in Lismore,” he said.

“From the experience of a colleague in my own office, that is very much the case.

“The difficulty is they don’t know where they may be moving to or where they need to go to search for accommodation.”

He suggested a bail variation application be made once they found a lease and that they be granted leave for medical appointments only.

However, their solicitor Tyler Scott disagreed asking the magistrate to have sympathy for the parents of two.

“I just think it over-complicates the matter,” he said.

“They are extremely onerous bail conditions...they’ve come to court now on nine occasions, they don’t want to keep coming to court and forking out money.”

Given that, Magistrate Jeff Linden ordered their bail reporting be reduced to once a week on Sunday, and that the pair notify the Lismore Local Court registry and Lismore Police OIC within 24 hours of a change of address after securing tenancy.

The pair’s matters were adjourned until August 24.