Grant Morris fronts court over false GST claims
An unemployed crook who pocketed nearly $100k in false GST refunds tried to use his children to get out of jail.
South East
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A con artist busted for rorting almost $100,00 from Victorian taxpayers in false GST refunds tried to use his children to avoid a jail sentence.
Grant Morris, 27, pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception from the ATO and another of attempting to do so between January and June 2022.
He appeared in the County Court on Friday and was sentenced to two years’ jail, to be released on a recognisance release order after serving seven months.
Between January 12 and March 12, 2022 Morris lodged four business activity statements and claimed GST refunds of $96,301. He was not operating a business, had not incurred GST on any purchases and was not entitled to GST refunds.
He lodged three further GST refunds totalling $57,051 between April and June of that year but these were not paid.
Morris claimed total business purchase between December 2021 and June 2022 was $1.6m
An ATO investigation revealed his main source of income was government-supported payments and that he had not worked for 18 months prior to being questioned about his offending in February 2023.
Morris asked the court to consider the effect of jail on his mother, who was the primary carer of his two children, and on his children.
She provided a character reference to court, saying Morris has formed a new relationship with his children and wanted to be a role model and the primary carer for his children.
But Judge Peter Rozen said he had given limited weight to the impact jail would have on Morris’ children.
“The deprivation of their father is the inevitable result of your offending. Further, although the children’s mother is not in their lives, they are fortunate they have a mature, responsible adult looking after them. She’s young and in good health,” he said.
Morris’ girlfriend wrote a letter to court, saying Morris was genuinely remorseful and described him as “trustworthy and respectful”.
