Walton Bevan in jail after $59k in ATO fraud

A Mildura sole trader has been caught scamming the ATO of almost $60,000.

Walton Bevan is led from Mildura Magistrates’ Court in handcuffs after he was jailed following a large ATO fraud.

A Mildura man has been caught scamming the ATO out of almost $60,000.

The Mildura Magistrates’ Court heard Walton Bevan had followed tax advice from his brother-in-law, who had recently been released from prison, and managed to steal $59,769 between February and May last year.

During earlier proceedings, Bevan’s defense lawyer Hugh Middleton argued his client was easily confused by GST refunds and had merely followed instructions.

However, text messages presented by the police prosecutor suggested the 33-year-old had a clear understanding of his actions.

The messages, exchanged between Bevan and his brother-in-law, read, “Bro, get Brylei to register for GST, and we’ll be able to pump 20k a month.”

Brylei Phillips, Beven’s 28-year-old wife, pleaded guilty earlier this month to falsely claiming $38,000 in GST payments.

When questioned by the police, Bevan admitted that he “knew he f***ed up” and expressed a desire to rectify the situation.

The stolen funds were primarily spent on Bevan’s rent and repairs for his utility vehicle, but a significant portion had been repaid.

Magistrate Michael Coghlan emphasised the repayment was “irrelevant” to a certain extent, despite acknowledging Bevan’s credit for returning the money.

He said Bevan was well acquainted with the GST system from his years working as a sole trader and therefore must have been aware of his actions.

“This is not a situation where you’ve entered into this enterprise not knowing what you were doing,” Mr Coghlan said.

“You knowingly ripped money from the Australian community ... The federal government relies on tax for resources for the very needy, unemployment payments, and pensions.”

Following the court proceedings, Bevan was taken into custody in handcuffs to serve his two-month jail sentence.

In addition to the imprisonment, he was also fined $2000.