Justin McKeone, Former husband of Miss Universe Australia, Olivia Molly Rogers, no show for Melbourne court appearance
The ex-husband of Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers allegedly stole almost $500,000 from his employer, with court documents revealing his “erratic” workplace behaviour, which included sleeping in the toilets.
Police & Courts
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The former husband of Miss Universe Australia, Olivia Molly Rogers, has been a no show in court days after it was revealed he allegedly stole almost half a million dollars from his Melbourne employer.
Melbourne finance executive Justin McKeone, 37, did not appear at a directions hearing in the Victorian Supreme Court on Thursday where a freezing order on his assets was extended to April next year.
The freezing order stipulates that Mr McKeone must live on a budget of $800 a week for ordinary living expenses.
He can also pay up to $10,000 on reasonable legal expenses.
His former employer Comic Sales Pty Ltd, which trades as Rocket Brands, launched legal action against Mr McKeone in October claiming he misappropriated almost $500,000 while working as head of finance.
The statement of claim in the civil case alleges that between June and October this year Mr McKeone made 114 unauthorised transfers totalling $481,490.33 from the Rocket bank account to his own.
Mr Holmes stated in an affidavit filed to the Supreme Court on October 21 that he was alerted to Mr McKeone’s “erratic” workplace behaviour by fellow staff in September.
“The complaints were to the effect that staff had observed Mr McKeone sleeping in the toilets for between 1 to 4 hours a day, observed Mr McKeone taking 90-minute lunch breaks, and observed Mr McKeone leaving the office regularly without performing his duties,” Mr Holmes said in his affidavit.
In court documents Mr Holmes states he then brought in two accountants to investigate the company’s financial activity during the period of Mr McKeone’s employment which is when the alleged unauthorised transactions were discovered.
Mr Holmes met with Mr McKeone on October 14 this year and confronted him with the allegedly unauthorised transactions.
“Mr McKeone told me that he had taken funds from Rocket to support a very serious drug habit. Mr McKeone admitted to theft of company money,” Mr Holmes said in his affidavit.
“Mr McKeone told me that he would do his best to return the money but that he did not have any of the money from the impugned transactions in his bank account.”
Mr Holmes sacked Mr McKeone from Rocket at the end of the meeting and reported the missing money to Victoria Police. On October 21 he applied to the court for the original freezing order to be made against Mr McKeone.
In his statement of claim Mr Holmes says Mr McKeone’s alleged conduct “breached the express term of his employment agreement that he fulfil the duties of his position honestly, faithfully and in a professional manner.”
It is also claimed that Mr McKeone breached his fiduciary duties by “failing to exercise his powers and discharge (his) duties in good faith in the best interests of Rocket” and by “using his position to gain an advantage for himself or someone else, or causing detriment to Rocket.”
Cozmic Sales and Mr Holmes are seeking restitution from Mr McKeone to the amount of $481,490.33 and are claiming damages, compensation, interest and costs.
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