Tinder swindler Christopher Collins should be ‘thoroughly ashamed’ of his behaviour, magistrate says

A man who stole thousands of dollars from his Tinder dates for gambling has been slammed by a magistrate for his “deep seated issues”.

Tinder swindler Christopher Collins complained about being labelled the ‘Melbourne Tinder Swindler’ because it embarrassed him.

A Melbourne Tinder swindler jailed for almost two years after pinching $100k of his dates’ cash for dodgy bets has likened gambling to “my girlfriend – it was always there”.

A magistrate lashed Christopher Alan Collins as she sentenced him to a maximum 22 months jail, saying he should be “thoroughly ashamed” of his behaviour and that he was “not a good gambler”.

The 33-year-old pleaded guilty after using the phones of three women to move money from their respective banks to betting accounts while they were on Tinder and Bumble dates in 2020.

Collins, who claimed to be a “professional gambler”, snatched $13k from a sleeping woman after unlocking her phone by holding it to her face, swindled $72k from another date while she danced at a club, and $8500 from a dinner date when she went to the bathroom.

Christopher Collins was sentenced him to a maximum 22 months jail. Picture: Supplied

The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard Collins, who pleaded guilty to 14 charges including theft and deception, had complained about media attention and being labelled the ‘Melbourne Tinder Swindler’ because it embarrassed him.

That was despite him abusing internet dating sites to quickly establish new relationships after others failed, allowing him to garner a “pool of potential victims” to feed a gambling addiction.

The court heard he told a doctor that he considered gambling to be a constant in his life, stating: “It was like my girlfriend, it was always there.”

Magistrate Cecily Hollingworth said she accepted Collins had not been “enriched” by gambling.

“But that seems to be simply because you are just not a good gambler and you have lost a lot of money to gambling,” Her Honour said.

Ms Hollingworth was “gobsmacked” over Collins’ attitude towards women, and said he had shown a lack of remorse and empathy for his victims as recently as July.

During a court-ordered assessment, Her Honour said he blamed his victims for his offending, claiming they consented to the bets, or justified his crimes because he was a “hopeless problem gambling addict”.

“You have deep seated issues, you will never get better until you acknowledge that,” Ms Hollingworth said.

The court heard one of his victims, a single mother of four, had to rely on charities and handouts for months after he took all the savings she had.

Another victim said she gets “little enjoyment out of life anymore” and isolated herself from friends and family because she was “mortified and embarrassed” for what happened.

Collins’ lengthy criminal history was also read to the court, which included drink driving, criminal damage and stealing $80k from two other women he met online in 2019 in crimes with a “striking resemblance” to that he was being sentenced for on Friday.

Weighing up his crimes with his early guilty plea and mental health issues, Ms Hollingworth handed Collins a 22 month jail term with a non parole period of 16 months.

With time served, he could be released as early as February.

Had he not pleaded guilty, Collins would have been jailed for 32 months, with a minimum of 22 months.