Gilgandra men Steven Carter, Beau Johnson sentenced over pokie crime

Two men worked out how to take advantage of a poker machine at Gilgandra Sporties Club, pocketing more than $1000 they weren’t entitled to.

Two men who raided the coin compartment of a sports club’s broken poker machine and used it to pocket more $1040 they were never entitled to have been handed hefty fines and ordered to pay compensation.

Gilgandra men Steven Carter, 27, and Beau Charles Johnson, 26, pleaded guilty to recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime when they faced court on Friday.

Beau Johnson was convicted of recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime after he played a damaged poker machine. Picture: Facebook

Steven Carter pleaded guilty. Picture: Facebook

In court documents, police said the pair were in the gaming room of the Gilgandra Sporties Club on July 3 when they stumbled across a broken poker machine.

After noticing a broken lock, put in place to secure the coin collection tray at the bottom of the machine, the pair decided to use the fault to their advantage.

Police said Carter and Johnson took coins from the collection tray and placed them back in the machine to build up credits.

When they got the amount of credits they wanted, the pair pressed the ‘collect’ button and used the illegitimate winnings to play multiple machines in the gaming area.

In less than three hours, the pair pocketed $1040 they were never entitled to.

Their crime was kept secret until Carter went to the bathroom and told someone “it’s great when you win off free money”.

According to police, a witness watched as the pair returned to the faulty machine and they were dobbed in after trying to collect another illegitimate win worth $700.

Gilgandra Sporties staff did not know the poker machine was broken.

Bar staff were unaware of the fault and when Carter and Johnson’s conduct was reported to them, they switched the machine off.

After inspecting CCTV footage, Carter and Johnson’s crimes became clear to staff and police who were called to investigate it.

Carter’s defence lawyer, Georgina Melrose, told Gilgandra Local Court the father-of-three was intoxicated when he committed the crime and it was unplanned.

“Mr Carter instructs me that he feels very ashamed of his behaviour,” Ms Melrose said.

“He wouldn’t do something like this again.

“He is willing to pay some compensation for the offence.”

Ms Melrose told the court there was a “similar matter” from 2015 on Carter’s criminal record.

“Mr Carter does have some criminal history, it’s not extensive,” she said.

Johnson’s defence lawyer, Molly Bland, said she echoed the submissions made by Ms Melrose, however her client, Johnson, had no criminal record.

Magistrate Stephen Olischlager said the men had engaged in offending which was “clearly opportunistic”.

“We should all know, when you play the poker machines, you never win and this is a clear example of that,” he said.

Carter and Johnson were convicted, fined and ordered to pay $1040 in compensation to the Gilgandra Sporties Club.

Johnson will have to pay a $600 fine, while Carter must pay $1000.