Michael Robert Demertze: Logan man falsifies address to claim payment intended for flood victims

A former professional basketball player pretended he lived in a flood-affected area, forging letters from doctors to claim government payments he was not entitled to, a court has heard.

A former Queensland basketball talent has received a jail term after falsely claiming flood money from the government.

Convicted fraudster and ex-Cairns basketball player Michael Robert Demertze, 28, appeared in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Friday, July 15 charged with one count of obtaining financial advantage for himself and 10 counts of using a forged document to induce a Commonwealth official.

The Kingston man pleaded guilty to all offences.

The court heard Demertze was aged 24 and 25 years old when he committed the offences between April and June 2019.

Prosecutor from the Commonwealth Correction’s office Anna Pham-Nguyen said the 28-year-old claimed the government’s $1000 disaster recovery payment by falsely stating he lived in a flood-affected area following the devastating 2019 Far North Queensland floods.

The one-off financial assistance helped people with immediate and urgent needs in the wake of disaster.

The group of 10 forgery charges related to Demertze providing forged documents — namely letters from doctors and physiotherapists — which suggested he was in need of urgent Centrelink payments.

It is understood he received payments of between $120 and $180 on a number of occasions, but the money he falsely claimed was fully repaid through the withholding of tax repayments.

Former Cairns basketball player Michael Demertze. Picture: Justin Brierty

Defence lawyer Lynn Robinson said her client had been employed as a storeman for several months and had not offended since 2019.

The court heard he suffered mental ill health, had issues with gambling, and was homeless when he committed the crimes.

Ms Robinson said Demertze used to play basketball professionally for the Cairns Marlins, but his career was cut short when he was convicted for previous dishonesty-type offending.

“If he could turn back time, things would be different,” Ms Robinson said.

Magistrate Mark Howden said Demertze’s fraudulent acts were “calculated” as he pretended he lived in North Queensland when he did not.

“You have to wonder what’s going through someone’s mind when, knowing that so many people have been so badly affected by the floods, that someone would want to behave in this matter and try and extract money from the government which was just made available for people who were really hardly dealt by,” Mr Howden said.

Demertze was sentenced to six months imprisonment, with immediate release, and a good behaviour period of 18 months for both groups of charges.

Demertze entered into a $2000 recognisance for both groups of offending and was ordered to pay $210.70 to the Commonwealth Government. Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Michael Robert Demertze: Logan man falsifies address to claim payment intended for flood victims