Jason Aaron Lee D’Monte sentenced to two years and three months in prison for defrauding Ulverstone RSC over five years

A Tasmanian Returned Servicemens Club secretary will spend more than a year behind bars after ripping off club funds, almost forcing the organisation into closure.

THE FORMER Ulverstone Returned Servicemens Club secretary has been jailed for stealing about $170,000 from the club’s coffers after his wife was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Jason Aaron Lee D’Monte, 53, “frittered away” the cash he stole for almost five years after “things fell apart” when his wife became suddenly and seriously unwell, the Supreme Court of Tasmania heard.

The qualified accountant, whose theft almost forced the club’s closure, was twice seen dumping a shopping trolley full of lever arch binders into a skip at the rear of the club to destroy the club’s business and accounting records just before police began investigating in October 2014.

D’Monte, who pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud and one count of stealing, had been responsible for the club’s day-to-day financial management and managing the cash streams from bar sales, TOTE, Keno and electronic gaming machines, and banking the takings.

The Crown alleged he stole almost $250,000, but Acting Justice David Porter sentenced the father-of-two for the lesser amount after hearing from a number of witnesses and an expert forensic accountant.

The judge noted the club assessed its financial situation after terminating D’Monte’s employment, finding its situation was “dire” and initially thinking it would have to close amid debts of $100,000.

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But the club was lent money by the state RSL and given contributions by 10 of its members, so was able to pay its liabilities and continue to trade, he said.

“This was a sustained course of dishonesty and high-level deception, which included falsifying financial statements and the destruction of records to disguise your ongoing theft of money,” Acting Justice Porter said.

He said D’Monte initially felt a “feeling of relief when his wrongdoing was discovered”, but that relief turned to despair and then suicidal ideation with panic attacks, anxiety, paranoia and other mental health concerns.

Noting his personal circumstances, the judge jailed D’Monte – who now works on a farm – for two years and three months, with a non-parole period of half that time.

D’Monte has already repaid the club $111,350, with Acting Justice Porter ordering he repay $68,745.81 more.