Alleged Tennant Creek fraudster gets bail to attend livestock sale in Queensland

A Tennant Creek livestock agent who, along with his wife, allegedly stole more than $400,000 from Australia Post will be allowed to leave the Territory on bail next week. FIND OUT WHY

A TENNANT Creek livestock agent who, along with his wife, allegedly stole more than $400,000 from Australia Post will be allowed to leave the Territory on bail next week.

Greg Liebelt and his wife, Rebecca, who managed the Tennant Creek post office, were each charged with fraud and theft last year for their roles in the alleged swindle.

On Tuesday, defence lawyer Luke McLaughlin told the Supreme Court the livestock agent intended to plead guilty — “in a manner that makes it significantly less than what the original indictment was” — in July and wanted his bail varied so he could attend a livestock sale in Longreach.

“He is engaged and in touch with (barrister, Peter) Maley, and so we say there is no concern your honour should have with respect to flight as this matter has resolved,” he said.

“He is in employment and he seeks only to have his bail varied for this limited application to, as the letter (from his employer) states, go to Longreach (in) the course of his employment.”

In opposing the variation, Crown prosecutor Ben McCarthy said if it was granted, it should come with reporting conditions and a $10,000 surety.

“Notwithstanding what my friend said, that Mr Liebelt is to plead guilty at a date before your honour in July, this is still a very serious allegation,” he said.

“That Mr Liebelt, in concert with his partner, stole a significant amount of money from his former employer.”

Rebecca and Greg Liebelt.

Mr McCarthy said Liebelt’s current employer had not explained why no one else in the company could go to Longreach instead, but Justice John Burns said that was “a matter for his employer”.

“If you had any doubts about the bona fides of the employer, you could have checked up on him,” he said.

In ordering that the variation be granted, Justice Burns said a requirement that Liebelt report to police three times a week was “the appropriate way to go” and no surety was necessary.

“The man’s been on bail for some time, if he was really intent on absconding — I know this is not an absolute certainty, but if he was intent on absconding — he could do it easily without having to come to court and seek a variation of bail to go to Longreach,” he said.

“He could simply just drive off into the sunset and, as there’s no reporting conditions at the present time, the Crown would be none the wiser until such time as he was called up for trial or sentence.”