(Australia)
An injured worker who failed to disclose his return to full-time employment will have to fully repay more than $121,622 in workers compensation.
Adrian Marion, 59, was sentenced in Geelong Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to a single charge of fraudulently obtaining payments.
He was convicted, placed on a 12-month Community Corrections Order with 75 hours of unpaid community work, and ordered to pay $26,622 in remaining restitution.
The court heard in November 2020, Marion lodged a claim for a stress related injury while working as a general manager at a fertiliser manufacturer.
He commenced receiving weekly top-up payments on the basis of capacity certificates and time-sheets he submitted showing that he was working four hours a week at a nearby mulching company.
An investigation later found Marion had commenced full-time employment at the company in December 2020 before becoming a sub-contracted consultant in April 2021, submitting invoices recording up to 29.5 hours per month.
Marion also worked full-time as a manager at a protective coatings business in North Shore between April and July 2021.
By the time his weekly payments were terminated in March 2022, Marion had earned almost $100,000 but had declared income of just $10,500.