Owner of illegal Richmond solarium abused authorities over warning
THE operator of a Richmond underground tanning salon abused health authorities with foul language when they tried to warn him the business was illegal, brazenly thumbing his nose at the law.
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THE operator of an underground tanning salon abused health authorities with foul language when they tried to warn him the business was illegal.
Steve Hawker, 48, is facing almost $130,000 in fines and court costs for brazenly operating a tanning den from his Richmond home and brazenly thumbing his nose at authorities.
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Hawker today pleaded guilty to providing 863 tanning services using tanning beds that were banned in 2015 because they posed significant health risks.
The Richmond resident was initially charged with more than 1100 offences but which were reduced to nine after many were combined.
Magistrate Tara Hartnett heard Hawker — a hairdresser by trade — advertised tanning sessions on Gumtree and boasted to customers that his fees were high because he faced a huge fine if caught.
“Steep? They are illegal and I could be fined $44,000 not to mention the $5500 the machine costs,” hawker said to one customer.
Hawker charged $26 for 12 minutes on a bed, advising “there will be paper towels and deodorant”.
Prosecutor Justin Foster said Hawker “gloated” about his brazen disregard for the law.
At one point, Department of Health and human services officers rang Hawking to advise the beds were banned.
“Eat my a--,” Hawker said before hanging up.
The court heard Hawker was in a weak financial position and earned about $7000 a month from his home hairdressing salon.
He has struggled with media coverage of his offending was reported and claimed the stress led to the breakdown of a relationship.
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The court heard Hawker had a longstanding interest in tanning and he appeared today looking like he just got a plane from Bali.
His mother provided the court with a reference.
Outside the court, Hawker tripped after being pursued by media.
Hawker will be sentenced later this month.