Former rising footy star Reece Piepers sad downfall into gambling addiction

An ex-rising footy star’s dad has shared his son’s tragic spiral into gambling addiction which saw loan sharks rocking up to his house after he racked up a $50,000 debt.

The parent of a rising footy star grew emotional in court as he shared how an unforgiving gambling addiction destroyed his stepson’s life.

Reece Phillip Piepers has faced Gosford District Court via audiovisual link, where he will soon be re-sentenced over a string of “unsophisticated” fraud offences in which he received deposits on the job sharing app Airtasker and failed to turn up to do the work.

The once-rising NRL fullback, who played reserve grade for the Cronulla Sharks, quickly racked up a $50,000 debt. Stealing almost half of that amount from Airtasker customers — as well as friends whose homes he broke into — landed him in jail a few weeks ago.

On August 10, the 22-year-old was sentenced to two years prison with a one-year non-parole period in Gosford Local Court.

But after taking his case to the higher court to appeal his sentence, a sympathetic judge has signalled his early release.

Reece Phillip Piepers, 22, of NSW’s Umina Beach (r). Picture: Avoca Beach Sharks RUFC

Giving evidence at his appeal hearing, Piepers’ stepfather since young childhood, Clinton Fell, spoke of a sudden spiral into addiction.

What began as harmless fun on betting apps quickly became an obsession which saw Piper desperately seek more money in the hope of gaining back all he’d lost and repaying his debt.

“He did not own a thing,” Mr Fell said.

“He wasn’t buying cars, jet skis or anything. Every cent went back into gambling ... After (the criminal) charges came up, we saw hundred dollar bets after hundred dollar bets and it is where all his work and footy money went.”

Mr Fell said his chance at a football career, his carpentry job and relationships came crashing down in the past 2.5 years as he went further down the rabbit hole.

“He’s lost friends, girlfriends, his career, his dream,” he said with a choking voice.

Desperate to help him, his parents sought specialised counselling and rehabilitation centres, but found “you can’t get them like you can get one for (an addiction to) drugs”.

Asked by Piepers’ defence lawyer Kara Grimsley whether the debt owners ever came to their home, he recounted a frightening incident in which he was forced to put CCTV cameras in the house and get police involved after loan sharks came looking for money.

Piepers will likely get an early release from jail. Picture: Facebook

He said full-time custody had been “a big wake-up call” for Piepers, and vowed to do everything possible to prevent him from reoffending if he was released to home detention.

The crown prosecutor did not oppose an Intensive Correction Order (ICO) but submitted it should include strict conditions.

“It is a significant gambling problem which has been in play for some time,” the prosecutor said.

“He has a long way to go with rehabilitation and the reoffending risk is moderate to high.”

The prosecutor noted he had breached Community Correction Orders (CCOs) in the past and he was at risk of not obeying conditions such as not downloading betting apps or attending gambling venues.

But Judge Tanya Bright said his time in custody “must go a long way” towards deterring him from more criminal behaviour.

“For a young man of his age and his past, this must be a very salient example of what’s going to happen and I expect he understands if he comes back to court he’ll be sent (back) to full-time custody,” she said.

“This is a classic situation of someone who is young, with no other (criminal) history, who should be given an opportunity ... There is a risk to community safety with the financial risk for people out of pocket thousands and thousands, but those risks are better managed in the community”.

Judge Bright noted much of his offending was unsophisticated, as he often gave his licence details to the Airtasker customers he planned to defraud, which was typical of being in the throes of addiction.

While unable to rule on the appeal until the completion of a home detention report, Judge Bright said she intended to re-sentence Piepers to an ICO for the same duration of his original sentence, with home detention to replace his remaining non-parole period should the report confirm its suitability.

The remaining ICO would include strict supervision, she said.

Throughout the proceedings, Piepers sat in his cell, looking intently at the court and nodding when Judge Bright said prison must be a big wake-up call for him.

He is due to be re-sentenced for breaking and entering, stealing, and seven counts of fraud — all of which he pleaded guilty to — at Gosford District Court on September 18.