Adam Cockshell convicted but spared prison for ‘sinister’ deception offences

A former Port Adelaide player who defrauded his employers in a “terrible breach of trust” – has now been sentenced for the “sinister” offending.

A former Port Adelaide player inflicted a “terrible breach of trust” when he used a company credit card to purchase tools and equipment for himself, a court has heard.

Adam Cockshell, 35, worked for the Adelaide company as an electrician and project manager for more than a decade and had been identified as a potential manager when the current directors retired.

But in 2018 an audit of the company’s finances showed irregularities in transactions linked to Cockshell.

Adam Jay Cockshell, in 2008, has been convicted and handed a suspended jail sentence in the Adelaide Magistrates Court.

A forensic accountant found that Cockshell had been making purchases from the company accounts and then attached those transactions to contracts which had already been completed.

The purchases ranged in value from a pack of coat hangers to several thousand dollars worth of airconditioning units.

He was initially charged with 40 counts of deception linked to the purchases and had indicated he would be contesting the allegations.

However, on Wednesday, Cockshell pleaded guilty to six charges of deception between April 2017 and May 2018 and the other charges were withdrawn.

Cockshell played for Norwood before being drafted to Port Adelaide but blew out his ankle in his second game.

Two directors of Cockshell’s former employer gave evidence to Chief Magistrate Judge Mary-Louise Hribal.

“The words which come to mind are violated, angry and disturbed,” one of the director’s said.

“There is something exceedingly sinister about the crime because (Cockshell) concealed the offending while putting on a daily performance that it was business as usual.”

The court heard that after Cockshell was dismissed from the job, he told other employees that the offending was “trivial”.

Several other employees sided with Cockshell and left the company.

Cockshell read an apology to the court, part of which he directed towards the two directors sitting in the public gallery.

“I should have contacted you years ago,” he said.

“I didn’t think you would ever want to see me again, let alone hear from me.”

Adam Jay Cockshell has been convicted and handed a suspended jail sentence in the Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture Sarah Reed

Casey Isaacs, for Cockshell, argued his client should be spared a conviction for the offending.

“He thought his offending was for the benefit of his employer, so he could work from home,” he said.

“But in the cold light of day he realised what he had done was wrong.”

Brevet Sergeant Stuart Rees, prosecuting, said Cockshell’s offending was “hidden well and truly from view”.

“There was a facade of trust and overtime that edifice begun crumbling down.”

Judge Hribal said Cockshell’s offending was too serious to spare him a conviction.

“You were a highly regarded employee,” she said.

“What you did was a terrible breach of trust. It was deliberate, protracted and a breach of trust on multiple occasions.

Cockshell was convicted and given a three month, 18 day prison sentence which was fully suspended.

He was ordered to pay $4627 in reparation for the offences.

Originally published as Adam Cockshell convicted but spared prison for ‘sinister’ deception offences