AusLeisure

A man who swindled a Canberra football club out of more $23,546 to enjoy "a few months of lavish living", has escaped a custodial sentence.

Aaron Alexander who, as President of Gungahlin United Football Club committed 48 counts of theft occurred over more than seven months between December 2017 and July 2018, was sentenced in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday.

Magistrate Glenn Theakston sentenced Alexander to a wholly suspended prison term upon entering into a good behaviour order for 24 months for the thefts.

Alexander, who previously spent 14 days in jail while on remand, is also required to complete 160 hours of community service.

Theakston said the thefts from the volunteer-run club were "conducted with a breathtaking level of groundless, inexcusable entitlement".

On Monday, the Court had heard that Alexander had used almost $9000 of club money to make payments to lease a Land Rover Defender and that, among other thefts, he also transferred about $13,500 to his personal and business bank accounts, among other thefts.

The Magistrate said non-profit clubs were "vulnerable for exploitation" because they have "a heavy reliance on good will, cooperation and trust", noting “as what happened here a charismatic person can engender confidence ... and then exploit.”

A victim impact statement, tendered to Court on behalf of the Club earlier this week, said the crimes not only resulted in financial hardship but had "a profound impact on the mental wellbeing of volunteers and their families".

It advised that the club has "lost face" with its "name in tatters" and its volunteers subject to abuse.

The statement added "for the people who uncovered the truth, who blew the whistle, who stood up in court to give evidence and for those who worked behind the scenes, there's the constant 'looking over the shoulder' due to fear of real and physical danger that he may soon be free to walk among us again with an axe to grind.

 “While his theft may have provided him with a few months of lavish living, it has created years on anguish for the club he betrayed."

Alexander, a US citizen, may face deportation.

Image credit: Shutterstock.

Related Articles

21st December 2023 - Perth karate instructor Gavin Michael Smith gets eight year jail term over sexual abuse of teenage student

17th December 2023 - Chinese Court imposes jail sentences on organisers of ultramarathon in which 21 competitors died

16th November 2023 - Former Little Athletics Tasmania President avoids jail in funds theft case

28th October 2023 - Three year jail term for golf club treasurer who stole more than $475,000

13th October 2023 - Executives charged over alleged $460,000 fraud at Voyages Ayers Rock Resort

21st July 2023 - Sydney-based event planner gets 15 year jail term for fraud

19th May 2023 - Court sentences man behind arson attacks on rival Melbourne jumping castle operators to 11-year jail term

16th June 2023 - Woman sentenced for Brisbane gym thefts

2nd September 2022 - Former Canberra AFL coach sentenced to 20 years in jail for child sex offences

22nd March 2022 - Man jailed for Darwin gym attack

18th February 2022 - Matthew Hanks to serve minimum 19 month prison term for Surf Life Saving NSW fraud

27th July 2020 - Brisbane-based ticket scammer gets five-year prison sentence

1st May 2020 - Queensland’s Chief Scientist and Museum Chief Executive jailed after fraud conviction

1st April 2017 - Promoter Andrew McManus spared jail time in suitcase drug money case

20th March 2017 - Ballarat Council sport and recreation manager to face more charges in fraud case

23rd August 2016 - Teenagers get lengthy jail terms after killing of Northern Territory pool manager

19th March 2013 - Australian Sports Commission raises governance standards

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.