Fraudster pleads guilty after ‘best 20 days of his life’ on Territory road trip with other people’s money

An SA man had the “best 20 days of his life” when he went on an NT road trip paid for on other people’s credit cards. SEE WHERE HE WENT

A MAN who used thousands of dollars of other people’s money to go on a sightseeing tour of the NT he later described as “the best 20 days of my life” while on the lam from a minor assault charge has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of fraud.

Travis Whyte also pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to one count each of attempted fraud, stealing and using a fake ID after the “really great time” in September last year.

The court heard Whyte’s first victim had woken to find his wallet missing after a night of drinking at the Whyalla Hotel in South Australia before Whyte used his ID and credit card to buy a car and other items on his way north.

After crossing the border, Whyte “found” another wallet at Florence Falls and used the credit card inside to make various purchases at stops along the highway at Batchelor, Berry Springs, Coolalinga and Darwin.

He then withdrew $16,500 from the first victim’s bank account and tried to replace his $500 Ford Falcon with a $73,000 Toyota LandCruiser using the other man’s money before the car dealer became suspicious and tipped off police.

Travis Whyte “found” a wallet at Florance Falls and proceeded to use the credit card inside on his epic Northern Territory road trip. Picture: Tourism NT/Lucy Ewing

During a sentencing hearing on Thursday, Crown prosecutor Tami Grealy said a letter Whyte sent to another prisoner while on remand was at odds with his later characterisation of the offending and expressions of remorse.

“He writes in his letter that he took off, he says ‘Ended up with an assault charge and a pissy driving charge, so I decided to do a runner from SA and head to the NT for work’,” she said.

“(He says) that he had the best two weeks of his life, spending somebody else’s money, buying cars to avoid detection, visiting a number of landmark sites in the NT, the Devil’s Marbles, really enjoying himself in the course of this spree that he continued until he was ultimately caught.

In response, Whyte’s lawyer, Giles O’Brien-Hartcher, said it was “not unbelievable” that his client had felt more remorseful after having read victim impact statements.

Mr O’Brien-Hartcher said the comment about “the best 20 days of his life” related to “the experiences he had during the time he was travelling from Alice Springs to Darwin” and “not necessarily” to “ripping people off”.

“The Territory’s a beautiful place, we all want to do that, and it’s not inconceivable that it would have been a fantastic time — a road trip up the Stuart Hwy is a fantastic experience,” he said.

“The fact that some of the money that he used for that was not his own doesn’t necessarily mean that that is the best part of the experience.,” he said.

In the letter to “Pitchy”, addressed to WA’s Casuarina prison, Whyte wrote that he “blew through my cash” by “running amok” and “doing all the touristy things” during the road trip.

“Devil’s Marbles, eight different springs, three waterfalls, one national park and then made it to Darwin,” he wrote.

“I had the best 20 days of my life bro!! I can die a happy man!! Anyway write back and I’ll fill you in more.

“Love ya brosef.”