Jonathan Hart: Launceston bankrupt in court over compliance

A Tasmanian businessman told a court he is now mowing lawns after his fall into bankruptcy, claiming his inability to comply with its requirements was due to “extreme personal issues”.

Launceston bankrupt Jonathan Hart, 60. Picture: Facebook

A bankrupted Tasmanian businessman has told a court during his sentencing hearing for failing to lodge a key form for more than two years that he has been bashed twice over his debts and is now mowing lawns after his refusal to be vaccinated.

Launceston man Jonathan Hart, who formerly owned Hartsolar Brokers Energy Consultants, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of not filing his statement of affairs with a receiver and give a copy to a trustee. He was sentenced in Launceston Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

A search of the National Personal Insolvency Index revealed Hart was bankrupted by the Federal Circuit Court in Victoria on March 7, 2019, upon petition by Solar Juice Pty Ltd, an Australian wholesaler of solar panels and components.

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In order for the sequestration order to come into effect, wherein Hart’s assets would be managed by a trustee for the bankruptcy period, Hart was required to submit a statement of affairs listing his assets.

However, the court was told this did not ultimately occur until October 3, 2022, until after he was charged with the current offence. He remains an undischarged bankrupt.

The Commonwealth prosecutor told the court Hart was contacted multiple times by the trustee and a compliance officer from the Australian Financial Security Authority and had paper documents mailed about half a dozen times.

Hart did in fact attempt to submit the form multiple times, but on each occasion it was missing details and a signature affirming its correctness.

Hart told the court he believed the issue to be with AFSA’s electronic lodgement system, rather than his computer.

Magistrate Ken Stanton asked why Hart did not mail the printed forms instead.

Hart said he was going through “extreme personal issues,” including the loss of his job as a Coles Direct delivery driver due to his refusal to receive a Covid vaccination.

He also claimed that he had been the victim of “two assaults,” one of them in front of a young child, from people “chasing money” from him.

“You get someone coming around to your house and being assaulted, you’re just not thinking straight,” he said.

Hart claimed he was still being hounded by one person for money, hence why the Mercury has chosen not to reveal his exact suburb of residence.

Ultimately, the sentence was unable to proceed. Mr Stanton told the court he would need to make a determination as to whether ASFA’s electronic lodgement system was indeed faulty, as per Hart’s claim.

The charge will be mentioned again on February 24.