Scott Morrison’s builder nephew Cole Mitchell sentenced for ripping off customers

The Prime Minister’s builder nephew, who name-dropped Scott Morrison to clients before ripping them off to help fund his cocaine habit, has escaped a jail sentence.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s builder nephew, Mitchell James Cole, has been sentenced for ripping off several Sydney customers by thousands of dollars, which he used to buy cocaine after he developed a drug and alcohol habit, a court has heard.

The 29-year-old Hazelbrook labourer ripped off four victims — Jennifer Farrell, Fay Voyiatsis, Ben Forman and James McCall— at Menai and Panania between May 2018 and July 2019 when he was paid for jobs but either failed to finish them or carried out shonky work when employed with Nexo Build, Parramatta Local Court heard on Tuesday.

The court heard Cole is Mr Morrison’s nephew through marriage to Jenny Morrison and touted his famous uncle’s name to clients while showing them photos of them at Christmas lunch at Kirribilli House in 2019.

The court heard how this connection attracted strong media coverage, particularly after one of his victims approached A Current Affair.

“This had a great impact on me, creating a huge amount of stress, pressure and shame,’’ Cole wrote in his affidavit.

Magistrate Kasey Pearce accepted the case attracted more media attention because of his uncle’s identity but the reporting was not sensationalised and his sentence would not be mitigated because of the coverage.

It was the third time NSW Fair Trading had prosecuted Cole, who was convicted and fined in February 2017 and October 2018 for similar offences.

Five days later, on October 23, he started his own business, Upfront Build & Design when he continued ripping off clients.

“What Mr Cole’s previous history shows is that the offences before me today are not uncharacteristic aberration of behaviour but are part of a continuing attitude of disobedience of the law.’’

Magistrate Pearce said Cole’s drug and alcohol addiction was not clear but that he was in need of funds to support his use of cocaine which meant his expressions of remorse were contradictory and difficult to accept.

On July 21, he pleaded guilty to carrying out illegal building work while unlicensed and uninsured that led him to rip off customers.

The charges were do residential building work when unlicensed, charges of demand, receive payment for building without insurance, charges of contract to do residential building work without licence and one charge of accept payment not supply good/services in time.

He was fined $26,000, ordered to complete a two-year community corrections order and 200 hours of community service and report to his closest Community Corrections district, which he listed as Bankstown.

He was ordered to financially compensate three of his victims $31,200 for damages. During a hearing before the Civil and Administrative Tribunal in October 2019, he was ordered to pay the fourth victim, Mr McCall, $17,000 but he had only paid $1050 back.

Magistrate Pearce told the court Cole’s conduct showed he had “very little regard for those that purchase your services”.

“I hope that does not continue in the future because in the future you may serve full time custody,’’ she said.

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