Sinclair Meats to fight forged kill sheets charges

The owner of a Victorian meat company will fight to clear his name over allegations he forged kill sheets to pay producers less for their carcasses. See his full statement here.

UPDATE: A meat company charged with altering kill sheets has vowed to fight to clear its name.

Sinclair Meats principal Steve Sinclair from Ballarat had been offered a diversion hearing by Victoria Police, which requires the accused to acknowledge and take responsibility for the offence while avoiding a criminal record.

The matter was due to be heard in the Ballarat Magistrates Court yesterday but was adjourned until April 18.

But in a statement to The Weekly Times, Mr Sinclair said he would not accept this option.

“The single incident (for one truckload of lambs sold through one agent but from a number of properties) that resulted in a charge of altering kill sheets was a simple administrative error, resulting from an employee processing one payment for some lamb in the same way we process payments for beef – the supplier had sent a shipment of lamb and beef – by deducting a small percentage of the animals’ weight to compensate for the rinsing of their carcasses,” Mr Sinclair said in the statement.

Sinclair Meats principal Steve Sinclair.

“As soon as this was brought to our attention, we acknowledged the error and sent off a cheque to cover the difference in the lambs’ weight.

“The billing for the cattle was correct.

“We explained this error to authorities upfront and appreciate their offer of a diversion in this case, which would not result in a criminal conviction.

“However, accepting a diversion means admitting we knowingly did something wrong, which I absolutely deny, so I will fight this case in court to defend our good name.”

Mr Sinclair said Sinclair Meats was a strong supporter of the local livestock industry and “has always conducted its business ethically and responsibly”.

“It is extremely disappointing to see incorrect accusations of fraudulent behaviour levelled at our family business,” Mr Sinclair said.

“We aren’t perfect, we can sometimes make mistakes, but when they happen we acknowledge it, make changes and make good.

“This is not a case of criminal conduct, but a simple mistake. It does not reflect how we run our business, as many in the community and industry would attest.

“We are upfront and honest in all our business dealings and will continue to serve the industry and consumers with the care and professionalism we are known for.”

March 21: Meat processor facing charges over allegedly forced kill sheets

A Victorian meat company owner is facing charges of allegedly forging kill sheets to pay producers less for their carcasses.

Steven Sinclair, of Sinclair Meats in Ballarat, was to face Ballarat Magistrates Court today on three charges including making a false document, using a false document and obtaining financial advantage by deception.

The case was adjourned until April 18. It was listed as a diversion hearing, which requires the accused to acknowledge and take responsibility for the offence while avoiding a criminal record.

It is understood the matter centres around allegations that kill sheets were altered for six different producers who sold lambs and cattle to Sinclair Meats, with adjustments made to original documents so producers would be paid less.

Carcasses pictured on the Sinclair Meats website.

The alleged tampering happened in mid 2021.

The Weekly Times approached Mr Sinclair but he declined to comment.

Speaking outside court today, an alleged victim said he wanted to take the matter to court to help fight for producers’ rights.

“The system has failed us,” he said.

“The livestock industry is based on a lot of trust and trust that everyone in the industry will do the right thing.

“This case is important because people who might be getting ripped off daily, their suspicions might be correct.

“Producers should have the right to access the original kill sheets from the meatworks so it can be compared to what we get from the processors.”

He said Sinclair Meats had sent a cheque for about $8200 to make up the disputed weight difference for one B-double load of lambs, but he had not banked it.

Victorian Farmers Federation livestock group president Scott Young said it was important to let the court process play out but the issue “was definitely on a lot of producers’ minds”.

“With more and more producers selling over the hooks and less in saleyards, we need more transparency in the abattoirs,” Mr Young said.

“There are concerns that sometimes, as farmers, we don’t agree with the results of how our stock have yielded.

“Perhaps if you are selling $100,000 of stock say, you may need to go watch them killed to know you are getting paid for what you send.”

Victoria Police Senior Constable Ian Carfoot from Echuca told The Weekly Times he had applied for a diversion hearing on the basis that Sinclair had shown remorse and had not offended before.

“We put in for a diversion hearing because of what he said in the interview, that he had no criminal history and he had tried to make amends (by sending a cheque for the balance of the money),” Senior Constable Carfoot said.

He said that Mr Sinclair had been charged with making a false document, where sheets which were provided by the abattoir then had weight deducted from them, before producers were paid on the adjusted (lower) weights.

The case was first brought to police in November 2021.