Milos Dobre sentenced for intimidating witness in teacher Phil Saunders’ betting club hearing
The friend of an Illawarra teacher who allegedly ran a betting ring in his classroom has learnt his fate for drunkenly telling a witness “you’re a dead man walking” in a pub car park.
Illawarra Star
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The mate of an Illawarra teacher who allegedly ran a betting ring in his classroom has learnt his fate for drunkenly telling a witness “you’re a dead man walking” in a pub carpark.
Milos Dobre, 48, pleaded guilty plea to using intimidation or violence to unlawfully influence a person in January and was sentenced in Wollongong Local Court on Friday.
Documents tendered in court state Dobre was friends with Phil Saunders, a former Wollongong High School teacher who allegedly ran an English Premier League punters club in his PDHPE class.
Saunders pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault of a person under his authority, two counts of indecent assault of a person under 16, intimidation and engaging in gambling with a minor.
His hearing began in 2022 and is expected to conclude later this year.
To date, the court has heard allegations Saunders unleashed an “aggressive” and “threatening” tirade towards fellow teacher Sally Johnston after she lodged a complaint about him to PDHPE head teacher David Arthur.
In a separate alleged incident, Saunders had a whiteboard in his class tabling students’ bets on English top-flight soccer matches.
Another Wollongong High School PDHPE teacher Mikayla Chaffey told the court students had told her Saunders “was not teaching” and “most of the lesson was spent on a betting syndicate” where $2 bets were recorded on board.
Documents state Dobre was with Saunders and another male at the Figtree Hotel on October 22, 2022, about two weeks after the teacher’s hearing.
Mr Arthur – who is not accused of any wrongdoing – was also at the drinking hole.
Documents state Mr Arthur – who did not know Dobre or the other man with Saunders – decided to leave, at which point Dobre followed and started screaming at him.
“Hey mate, where are you going?” Dobre yelled.
“Come back and have another beer.”
The documents state Dobre gestured at Mr Arthur and continued his tirade.
“Yeah you c--t, come back,” Dobre screamed across the carpark.
“Keep walking as you’re a dead man walking.”
Mr Arthur left and reported the incident to the officer in charge of the Saunders investigation.
The documents state Dobre was not able to be immediately identified by the CCTV footage obtained from the hotel.
However, in May, last year, the hearing continued where Mr Arthur was to give evidence when he heard Dobre talking to another man who was at court supporting Saunders.
Mr Arthur told the officer, “that’s him” who recognised Dobre as the man in the CCTV footage.
The documents state Dobre was asked to leave the court before police arrested and charged him at his home in Fernhill later that afternoon.
In court, Dobre’s lawyer said his client did not know the witness was going to be at the pub, heard the man’s voice through a door and made the comments in the “heat of the moment … while on the drink,” suggesting he was “passionate” and supporting Saunders.
The court heard the friends were there to drink and catch up following the breakdown of Dobre’s marriage.
Magistrate Robert Rabbidge said people needed to be comfortable when at court so justice could be served.
He acknowledged Dobre was a “family man” who worked for the same employer for 15 years; and accepted he was remorseful.
Mr Rabbidge said the victim felt intimidated enough to report the incident to police but noted “things happen when under the influence of drink”.
He also noted “it is good to catch up with mates” but to “not let mates influence you to say or do the wrong thing”.
Mr Rabbidge accepted Dobre was a man of prior good character and did not expect to see him back before the court.
Dobre was placed on a two-year conditional release order without conviction where he must be of good behaviour.
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