Goulburn Valley: Koul Koul’s bail extended despite police application for it to be revoked

A former employee of a bank in the Goulburn Valley stole more than $120,000 and had a lookalike check in of his bail reporting conditions.

Among the allegations, Koul Koul allegedly stole more than $120,000 and paid for a PlayStation 5 with counterfeit $100 notes. Photo: Stock image

A magistrate has given a former employee accused of defrauding bank customers of up to $121,200 and drug trafficking another chance at bail despite police applying for it to be revoked.

Police lodged an application for the bail of 23-year-old Footscray man Koul Koul to be revoked as he fronted Shepparton Magistrates’ Court and faced a further eight charges on Tuesday.

Koul, who the court heard is currently on four separate counts of bail, is alleged to have breached one of his conditions by having another man, who reportedly looked like him, attend Footscray Police Station and sign his bail reporting documents in his place on six days in April and May.

The court heard the male was captured signing the documents on CCTV and is yet to be charged.

Police informant, Detective Senior Constable Daniel Chapman from the Gang Crime Squad’s Echo Taskforce, said Koul was arrested in February for bail breaches.

He pleaded guilty to four breaches at Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court several days later, where he was fined and his reporting conditions tightened to make it necessary for him to report to the police station seven days a week.

The informant detailed the alleged offending Koul is on bail for, dating back to 2018.

The court heard he had been employed as a customer advisor at National Australia Bank branches in Shepparton and Kyabram when it was uncovered that he had allegedly used his position to transfer more than $121,200 out of customers’ personal bank accounts, including four elderly people, and into his own and those of his associates.

He is facing multiple counts of false accounting, obtaining property by deception and making a false document as a result, while he is also facing driving, drug and deception charges over incidents from December 2020 to March 2021.

On two occasions he allegedly gave police his brother’s name — an A-league player who lives in Queensland — when he was pulled over for speeding while on another occasion he allegedly agreed to sell 13 grams of cocaine to a person via a social media platform at a cost of $2543 — not knowing they were an undercover police officer.

Forensic testing later revealed the cocaine weighed nine grams and had 28 per cent purity.

Koul is also facing a range of charges after he allegedly paid $1300 in counterfeit $100 notes to purchase a PlayStation 5 off Facebook Marketplace, as well as purchasing other items with a credit card which he allegedly obtained by providing false details.

The other matter before the courts involves an allegation Koul bought return flights for Los Angeles, which he used in October 2018, with a victim’s credit card.

Police requested Magistrate David Faram revoke Koul’s bail due to the alleged offending and his continued breaches of the bail he had been released on. They expressed fears he might continue to reoffend and potentially influence others to on his behalf.

“All conditions have been put in place…but now people are reporting while purporting to be him,” Detective Senior Constable Chapman said.

“So there’s not much else I can put in place.”

The court heard Koul had been “given opportunities” by being granted bail over the alleged offending but his bail conditions were made more onerous when breaches were detected.

“Even though he was given these opportunities to show the court he could do the right thing, he did not do the right thing,” the police prosecutor said.

Koul’s defence lawyer made submissions in dispute of the application, telling the court he had a “traumatic upbringing” but had limited criminal history, had never been imprisoned and had a stable address.

She also raised the issue of the potential for delay and that he may spend more time in custody awaiting trials than he might ultimately be sentenced to.

While noting Koul faced serious charges and delays in the court system meant it was “unlikely he would proceed to trial in the next 14-18 months”, Mr Faram said Koul had never failed to attend court and so decided to give him “another chance”.

He decided against taking him into custody — instead deciding to lessen his bail conditions, including amending the requirement for him to report to police seven days a week to three.