‘Plainly there is a risk’: Country singer and accused $21m fraudster Craig Heath bailed

A country singer accused of $21m fraud has been bailed, despite the risk of reoffending and endangering the community.

Craig Heath’s three-month stint in prison came to an end on Friday, when he was freed back into the community. Picture: Alex Coppel.

A country music singer accused of a $21m fraud involving multiple victims over several years has been released on bail despite his ongoing risk to public safety.

Craig Heath’s three-month stint in prison came to an end on Friday, when he was freed back into the community by County Court judge Pardeep Tiwana.

Judge Tiwana said “plainly there is a risk that he may commit further offences and thereby endanger the safety and welfare of others and interfere with witnesses” due to most recent alleged property con while on bail.

However the judge believed strict bail conditions could ameliorate the risk and freed him on bail.

Mr Heath – who once claimed to have worked with music superstar Keith Urban – let out a sigh of relief as he learnt his time in solitary confinement at medium-security Marngoneet Correctional Centre had come to an end.

Mr Heath found imprisonment a “rude awakening” and “shock”, the court heard. Picture: YouTube

He’d found imprisonment a “rude awakening” and “shock”, the court heard.

The court heard Mr Heath, 51, had the support of his sister, will be made to report daily to police near his home in Ormond and abide by strict bail conditions restricting his use of the internet and prohibiting him signing any new property deals.

The Herald Sun first revealed Mr Heath was under investigation by Victoria Police in October 2019.

It’s alleged over many years he falsely represented himself as a builder or property developer to get vulnerable people to invest in projects that would never go ahead.

Some alleged victims have lost their homes, others their entire life savings.

In June, he was facing 107 charges linked to property scams involving 32 alleged victims from 2011 to this year.

During his bail application last week, the court heard that despite him earning less than $1000 a week from Centrelink, Mr Heath spent nearly $51,000 on his “sugar baby”, dining out and personal grooming while previously on bail.

It was during this time he allegedly conned another victim of $30K in a fraudulent property deal.

Judge Tiwana warned the alleged fraudster he’d be closely watched by detectives while on bail.

Mr Heath will reappear in court in May.