Jake Radovanovic: Melbourne electrician, 37, released from jail on fraud, drug and theft charges

A tradie defrauded his former boss with $37,000 of dodgy time sheets, among other crimes.

A tradie who defrauded his former bosses out of more than $37,000 in fake time sheets as part of a desperate crime spree to fuel his ice addiction was released from jail on Thursday.

Jake Radovanovic, 37, of St Albans, was sentenced to time served and an 18 month community corrections order at the Sunshine Magistrates Court.

The electrician, who started using ice to deal with a relationship breakdown, was ordered to pay back $37,525 in money he defrauded from his former boss, but submitting time sheets for hundreds of hours when he was not at work.

Magistrate Phillip Goldberg previously described Radovanovic as being “someone who is using ice and it’s stuffing up everything”.

Mr Goldberg also described the past few years of Radovanovic’s life as “wasted”.

The magistrate previously suggested the sheer size of Radovanovic’s frauds meant he might have to serve longer behind bars, but on Thursday said 82 days was a long enough jail term.

Jake Radovanovic, 37, pictured in happier times.

As well as the time sheet fraud, Radovanovic previously pleaded guilty to charges of obtaining property by deception stemming from him putting tools and electrical supplies on another company’s account at Middy’s Data and Electrical.

Radovanovic’s crime spree also included the theft of five iPads from a property at Truganina, unlicensed driving at Taylors Hill, and stealing a jerry can full of petrol.

He also admitted to a string of trespass, assault, drug possession and property damage charges which have left him estranged from much of his family.

Mr Goldberg said Radovanovic would have to agree to be treated for his drug abuse problem, and take a course to help combat any risk he might reoffend.

If he had not pleaded guilty, Radovanovic would have been sentenced to a year behind bars.