Man claims 61-year-old car theft conviction being used to drive him out of Dogs Victoria

In 1961, a 16-year-old Frank Tipping stole an FJ Holden. Decades on he has commenced legal proceedings claiming it’s being used to drive him from the Dogs Victoria board.

Frank Tipping and a mate were nabbed for stealing an FJ Holden in 1961, now he claims he's being pushed out of Dogs Victoria because of it.

A veteran Dogs Victoria member claims a teenage theft conviction from 61 years ago has been used to drive him off the body’s board.

Frank Tipping, an 82-year-old with decades of service to the organisation, plans to use the state’s new Spent Convictions Act to fight for reinstatement.

Mr Tipping will next week head to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal as part of his battle.

In 1961, Mr Tipping and a mate stole an FJ Holden but were caught by police.

Then aged 16 and during a “troublesome upbringing”, he was convicted of the theft and ended up before a magistrate.

Mr Tipping was convicted but within years turned his life around and has had no issues with the law for six decades.

His work in animal welfare and training earned him life membership of Dogs Victoria in 2014.

Mr Tipping’s supporters say his problems began two years ago when disillusionment at the body’s direction led to him successfully applying for a committee position.

He was repeatedly asked for a police check and Mr Tipping said he handed that over.

Despite the 1961 conviction, he had previously been cleared by authorities to get a firearms licence.

Mr Tipping said the situation was absurd and that he had no choice but to take the VCAT action.

“It’s something I wanted to forget about but it’s come to a head now,” he said.

Mr Tipping’s friend, former Dogs Victoria member Raja Lingam, said he has a current national police check showing a clean record.

“This demonstrates that any prior transgression has been expunged and that the conviction was of the kind that the Spent Convictions Act considers suitable to be spent,” Mr Lingam said.

Dogs Victoria has more than 8000 members and is the governing body for Victoria’s purebred dog sector.

The Spent Convictions Act of 2020 means some minor convictions are expunged and no longer appear on a police check after 10 years.

Dogs Victoria chief executive Jason Eggleton declined to comment because of next week’s VCAT case.