Dennis Wayne Jensen cops suspended jail sentence

A fake lawyer has learnt his fate in the Supreme Court, after he advised an accused rapist to break a court order and contact his alleged victim.

A man who fraudulently gave legal advice to the family of an accused rapist, causing the man to contact his alleged victim, has fronted the Supreme Court of Victoria to be sentenced.

A fake lawyer has learnt his fate in the Supreme Court, after he advised an accused rapist to break a court order and contact his alleged victim.

Dennis Wayne Jensen, who fraudulently posed as a lawyer and advised a man accused of rape to breach an intervention order, has been sentenced to three months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, after being found guilty of contempt of court in August.

Jensen fronted the Supreme Court on October 13 for sentencing after breaching a court injunction in 2020, where he gave legal advice to an accused rapist to contact the alleged victim, telling the man not to “worry about the intervention order”.’

Justice John Dixon said Jensen’s offending demonstrated an “obstinate resistance to authority.”

“You imposed nonsensical notions about the administration of justice on vulnerable and desperate people, while pretending to assist them with legal matters as if you were qualified to do so,” he said.

“While I’ve accepted it’s possible you were influenced by others to give that advice, you are responsible for that conduct and you have not persuaded me that your culpability has been diminished.”

Justice Dixon said Jensen acted “deliberately and intended to disobey the injunction.”

“There is no reasonable belief that your conduct is justified,” he said.

“There is nothing that can be done to remedy the consequences, they must be suffered by the family.”

Justice Dixon said his conduct “imperilled the proper administration of justice,” and contempt which “requires a jail sentence.”

“The law says that I must only send you to jail as a last resort, where no other punishment can meet the court’s objectives,” he said.

However, Justice Dixon decided against imprisoning Jensen immediately, after taking his personal circumstances into account.

“Because of your poor health, your caregiving role to your ill friend, your son’s evidence that you have made significant changes in your life that might prevent reoffending, I’m satisfied that it is appropriate in your case to suspend your jail sentence.”

Justice Dixon ordered Jensen to show “good behaviour” for a year, otherwise he would “go to prison.”

“You must not breach the injunction again, not in the next 12 months and not ever,” he said.

“Your future is in your hands.”

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