Removalist faces Penrith Court over larceny charges

A father of three has told Penrith court how he suffered at the hands of a Sydney removalist who allegedly collected items of property to move but later demanded more money from customers for their return.

A former removalist has faced Penrith court today charged with larceny.

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A father of three has told Penrith court how he suffered at the hands of a Sydney removalist.

Dione Blissett, 41, faced court today accused of holding customers’ property to ransom. It is alleged that while Mr Blissett ran his own removalist company, Rise Transport and Logistics, he collected items of property to move but later demanded more money from customers for their return. It is alleged that victims span across Sydney, including Glenmore Park, Panania and Dee Why.

Mr Blissett is pleading not guilty to three counts of larceny as a bailee and chose to represent himself in court. The court heard that the prosecution would be presenting four witnesses, two from Victoria and two from Queensland.

The first witness was Tim Willson, who appeared via video link. Mr Willson told the court that on December 15 2017 he hired the services of the accused to move his family’s belongings from Sydney to Melbourne. The witness said he paid the accused $1600 to move 81 boxes of property, which were insured at $20,000.

During questioning by the prosecution, Mr Willson told the court that while it was agreed that his property would be delivered to a storage facility in Melbourne by December 21, on January 15 his belongings had still yet to arrive.

The court heard that after communication with the accused failed, Mr Willson offered an extra $150 as incentive to have his property returned. Mr Willson then told the court that the accused did not accept this offer and demanded to be paid $1550 to return the property. Mr Willson said he refused to pay more money and contacted police.

Having moved to Melbourne with his wife and three children, Mr Willson expressed to the court the difficulties of living in a house with no furniture.

“My wife and I were not able to sleep in a bed and my children had to sleep in sleeping bags on the floor,” Mr Willson told the court.

“All my family had were the clothes we had packed and a few Christmas presents.”

In March 2018 police recovered Mr Willson’s property stored in a tin shed at a Vineyard property in Sydney. Mr Blissett was arrested on March 7 2018 in Windsor. On April 23 2019, ASIC published notification of deregistration for the company Rise Transport and Logistics

The prosecution still has at least three witnesses to call upon and court was adjourned to accommodate further witnesses. Mr Blissett is facing up to five years in jail if convicted.