Melton West man pleads guilty to obtaining financial advantage by deception after false workers compensation claim

A truck driver who injured himself before a weekend at the V8 supercars falsely claimed he was hurt at work. A court has now ordered he pay back the compensation.

A truck driver who committed a “significant fraud” by lying on a WorkCover claim after injuring himself before an event has been ordered to pay back tens of thousands in compensation.

Melton West man Geoffrey Glendinning pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception and one charge of obtaining property by deception.

The court that in January 2015, Glendinning filed a WorkCover claim for a back injury and indicated there was no previous injury relating to his claim.

Glendinning was sentenced in Sunshine Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. Picture: Ellen Smith

In the claim, the 58-year-old stated he was injured stepping out of his truck at a job site the previous November and told an ambulance officer that he felt a “pop” in his hip and could not bear weight on one of his legs.

His claim was accepted, including liability for weekly payments and medical expenses including spinal surgery.

However, following a WorkSafe investigation, it was revealed that the day before Glendinning claimed to have suffered a work-related injury, he had twice called an ambulance for stabbing hip and leg pain.

It is understood he sought medical treatment after returning home from a V8 Supercars event at Phillip Island.

Hospital records showed he was diagnosed with sciatica after reporting hip pain while packing his car a few days earlier, which worsened over the weekend.

His payments were terminated in August 2017.

Glendinning was sentenced in the Sunshine Magistrates‘ Court on Wednesday and placed on a two-year Community Corrections Order.

His conditions include repaying $143,982 in compensation and he will also be required to perform 180 hours of unpaid community service.

WorkSafe Insurance Executive Director Roger Arnold said fraudulent behaviour undermined the WorkCover scheme and had serious consequences.

“This was a significant fraud, which took money and resources that should have been supporting injured workers and families in legitimate need,” Mr Arnold said.

“There is no excuse for this type of deception and WorkSafe won’t hesitate to prosecute anyone who tries to take advantage of the WorkCover compensation scheme for their own personal gain.”