Darron John Baker given 10-month home detention order after guilty plea for more than 130 fraud charges

A man with a gambling addiction will have to pay back more than $24,000 he took during his time as the treasurer of a not-for-profit organisation. Here’s how he was found out.

Burnie Supreme and Magisterial Courts

During a nearly two-year tenure as the treasurer of a tourism not-for-profit organisation, Darron John Baker took $24,427.09 for personal use due to a gambling addiction.

The now 36-year-old from George Town was sentenced in the Supreme Court in Burnie on Thursday for 141 counts of fraud and four counts each of dishonestly acquiring a financial advantage and stealing by misappropriation.

Justice Tamara Jago said the Baker committed the crimes between September 19, 2016, and February 13, 2018, when he was treasurer of the Launceston Tamar Valley Tourism Association (LTVTA), which had a membership of around 70 people.

His fraudulent activity had resulted in the association’s accounts being overdrawn by $1232.08.

“Your offending was ultimately detected when another member of the association made inquiries with the bank,” Justice Jago said.

“When confronted by the association members as to the whereabouts of the funds, you admitted that you had misappropriated all of the money from the association’s bank account and that the money had been spent on personal items because you had a gambling addiction.”

Supreme Court Justice Tamara Jago. Picture: Supplied.

An independent audit of the LTVTA’s finances found that Baker had used the organisation’s funds to pay for personal items such as groceries, Foxtel and Optus accounts, and taxi fees.

He had previously been sentenced to five months in prison in 2009 for what Justice Jago described as taking funds from his then-employer because he was “gambling and living beyond his means”.

Baker has a number of medical conditions, including fibromyalgia - which causes chronic pain - and major depressive disorder.

Justice Jago said that a forensic psychologist report that was prepared in the lead-up to sentencing stated that Baker had undiagnosed autism.

“The condition has relevance in the current matter as a primary coping strategy that Baker has employed to cope with his social and interpersonal functioning impairments, which is to frequent establishments to play poker machines.

“The environment allows him to feel that he is socialising, as he has the company of other people, but it requires limited requirements to interact with others.

“Using poker machines is the coping strategy that led Baker to live outside his means and rely on drawing funds in his capacity as a treasurer to cover living costs.”

Baker was sentenced to a 10-month home detention order and will have to pay back the LTVTA the money he took from them.