Top racing figure gives evidence in Stephen Fletcher’s Sydney fraud trial
Sydney high-roller Stephen Fletcher’s trial has heard evidence from one of racing’s top figures that bets at the tracks are regularly made on behalf of others as the 47-year-old faces 78 charges related to $330,000 worth of illegal winnings.
Wentworth Courier
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Former Northern Territory Racing Commission chair Richard O’Sullivan has given evidence in high-roller Stephen Fletcher’s fraud trial, telling a court efforts were stepped up to stop “problem gamblers” using accounts of others to place wagers during his time in the role.
Mr Fletcher is charged with 78 offences alleging he fraudulently used the accounts of friends to score $330,000 in illegal winnings on races from bush markets to Hong Kong and Singapore.
He denies the allegations.
Mr O’Sullivan was the latest high-profile witness to be called as the Downing Centre District Court trial enters a second week.
Under cross-examination from Fletcher’s defence counsel, Phil Boulten SC, the former chair of the Northern Territory Racing Commission told the court a “minimum bet rule” was put in place because bookmakers were refusing to take bets from punters who regularly won during his tenure in the role.
Mr O’Sullivan was the chair of the board from 2006 to 2014.
The trial has previously been played calls of Fletcher allegedly using the names and accounts of a group of mates to place high-stakes bets.
In one call with Bet365, he allegedly could be heard joking that he would “just bet again” after his account was suspended.
More than 150 intercepted phone calls have been played to the court so far.
When asked, Mr O’Sullivan agreed the practice of people placing bets on behalf of others at the tracks still took place at on-course bookmakers.
“If two people come to an arrangement then yes they’ll say ‘put some money on for me’,” he said.
Fletcher, 47, is accused of placing the bets which ranged from $9 to the tens of thousands.
His biggest win in the relatively unsophisticated scheme came with a $56,000 win from a $1600 bet in February 2013 at Warwick Farm.
The trial before Judge Sophia Beckett continues.
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