Ian Richard Strachan pleads guilty to using $20,000 of Australian Army Cadets Unit’s funds

A staff member was reviewing the account records for the NSW Australian Army Cadets Unit Holsworthy Branch when he noticed 56 transactions that were out of place.

A volunteer of more than a decade with a southwest army cadet unit has admitted to using $20,000 for his own personal use when activities were shut down due to Covid.

Ian Richard Strachan, 65, fronted Picton Local Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception between December 2020 and June 2021.

He made 56 transactions totalling $20,327.42 for his own personal use without authority.

Court documents reveal that Strachan, a Narellan Vale resident, has been a volunteer with the NSW Australian Army Cadets Unit Holsworthy Branch for 15 years.

Ian Richard Strachan, an army cadet volunteer, used the debit card belonging to the NSW Australian Army Cadets Unit Holsworthy Branch and made 56 transactions totalling $20,327.42 for his own personal use without authority. Picture: Annie Lewis

He held the rank of Lieutenant (LT ACC) and was responsible for the financial running of the unit and was issued with a debit card in the unit’s name to which only he had access.

For most of 2021, the unit was not operating due to Covid and therefore there was no need for the account to be used.

On November 9, 2021 staff recommenced work and Strachan met with a staff member who was to be added to the bank account as he was now in charge of the unit.

The agreed facts state that the staff member attempted to speak with Strachan about the account but he was “evasive” and once at the bank, Strachan handed him the card and said “I don't want this anymore, it’s too much of a temptation”.

Ian Richard Strachan pleaded guilty at Picton Local Court in August. Picture: Annie Lewis

A few days later, the staff member asked for the bank account history and noticed a large number of ATM withdrawals in quick succession during a time when the unit was non-operational.

On November 16, the Chief of Staff Headquarters had a phone conversation with Strachan and said he had been suspended as an officer of the cadets and asked if it was true that he used funds for personal inappropriate use.

The court documents showed that Strachan admitted to it and when asked “for God’s sake why”, responded that “I lost my job a few months ago and this was the only way that I could see that I could get by”.

In an interview with police Strachan made full and frank admissions to what he had done.

Magistrate Mark Douglass ordered a sentence assessment report to be completed. The matter returns to Picton Local Court next month.