Christian Marshman pleads guilty to dishonestly obtaining $64,000

A former Transport Accident Commission employee transferred over $64,000 into personal bank accounts to fund his “out of control” gambling lifestyle, a court has heard.

Christian Marshman.

A former Transport Accident Commission (TAC) employee transferred more that $64,000 into personal bank accounts to fund his “out of control” gambling lifestyle, a court has heard.

Christian Marshman, 28, pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to over 40 charges of deception.

Marshman’s lawyer told the court his client’s debt incurred exclusively between 2021 and 2022 because Marshman was involved in a TAB betting arrangement.

Between December 30, 2021 and November 21, 2022 Marshman manipulated payments from former clients of the TAC and diverted them into his own bank accounts.

Marshman, who now lives in Murtoa, commenced his employment with the TAC in 2014 and in 2019, was working in the loss of earnings department.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Georgie Hadzig said in November 2022, a forensic team from the TAC became aware of ongoing payment claims to clients with no valid reasoning. The court heard that these clients did not require income assistance.

“A review and data matching analysis was conducted and it was established that there were a number of suspicious and undocumented changes of new bank account details to four TAC clients,” Ms Hadzig said.

Christian Marshman.

The court heard medical certificates for the four clients had been waived, and their address had been changed to Brougham Street, Geelong.

The court heard Marshman lost his job following the revelations.

Marshman’s lawyer told the court his client committed the offences to sustain his gambling addiction.

He also said a particular party became interested in his client and took him under their wing.

The court heard the interested party took Marshman out to events, provided him with drinks and money to gamble.

“He got so out of control, he was trying to make up the losses and that just continued,” he said.

Marshman’s lawyer said his client also had impulse control problems as a result of his ADHD.

“If you added his wages to the money he lost, and the money he took from his employer, he is still without money at the end of the week,” he said.

“It was all spent on gambling, every cent of it.”

Marshman was interviewed by police on February 18, 2023, and made full admissions to his offending.

He told police he was sorry for his actions and knew it was wrong.

Magistrate Franz Holzer said he would defer sentencing to a later date, but said a jail sentence was very much on the cards.

“Mr Marshman is at great risk of going to jail. It’s a level of selfishness and a level of greed,” Mr Holzer said.

Originally published as Christian Marshman pleads guilty to dishonestly obtaining $64,000