Former Surf Life Saving boss fronts court over $1.8 million fraud

Disgraced Surf Life Saving NSW boss Matthew Hanks has told a court he “felt dead” after being caught defrauding the charity of nearly $2 million.

Cheating Surf Life Saving NSW boss Matthew Hanks who stole almost $2 million from the charity said his treatment in the news media and on social media had been “not fair”.

The disgraced former general manager told the District Court on Thursday that he had tried to block out what he had done and had become a virtual hermit since his massive fraud was discovered in 2016 and he had needed time to “get back on his feet”.

“I felt dead. I felt like everything had been was being taken away,” Hanks, 52, said of the time he was caught and resigned.

Former Surf Life Saving NSW boss Matthew Hanks leaves Wollongong Local Court in 2019. Picture: Madeline Crittenden 

But the 76,000 surf life saving volunteers, members and fundraisers who he scammed to fund a millionaire’s lifestyle with two mansions and a yacht felt “betrayed” by the selfish fraud, SLS NSW board member Anthony Waller told the court.

Some of them had been ridiculed by the public for the money Hanks, 52, had wasted, Mr Waller said.

“Reputation takes decades to build but it can be destroyed in a fleeting minute,” he said.

“The organisation has never before faced a crisis over a fraud and we hope we will never face another one.”

Mr Waller revealed that the money defrauded by Hanks before he was caught in 2016 had led to lack of funds to buy safety equipment for the frontline life savers and to repair buildings, and they could never know the full impact of the fraud in lost donations.

Hanks has pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud. Picture: Madeline Crittenden

Hanks appeared by AVL from the chambers of his barrister for the sentencing submissions after he pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud.

He had paid back $600,000 and then another $1 million in a court settlement, was unemployed and had broken up with the partner he was engaged to and who was pregnant at the time.

Judge John Pickering warned him things could get worse.

“He is clearly at risk of receiving a jail sentence. He should expect the worst when he comes to court,” the judge said.

The full impact of the fraud in lost donations to the charity due to reputational damage will never be known, a board member told the court. Picture: AAP Image/Monique Harmer

Hanks pleaded guilty to using a fictitious name to create a false invoice for $121,000 worth of construction work done at the Port Macquarie Surf Club. He ­altered the name on the cheque to resemble his own then deposited the money into his bank account.

Hanks also pleaded guilty to using inflated invoices when buying and selling cars for the organisation. There were 55 cars involved which netted Hanks over $1,318,000.

He admitted defrauding the organisation of $400,000 through invoicing the SLSNSW printing work to his own company, See Hear Speak, but subcon­tracting it out to cheaper ­operators, pocketing the ­difference.

Hanks will be sentenced at 2pm on February 18 and remains on bail.