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$115,000 SCAMMER AVOIDS PRISON
■ A Ballan woman who scammed a pensioner out of more than $115,000 has avoided jail by "the narrowest of margins", a County Court judge said. The Ballarat Courier newspaper reports that Michelle Barnes, 48, was sentenced at the the County Court after earlier pleading to eight charges of theft, committed during the course of a ‘friendship’ with an older woman in Ballan. Journalist Alex Dalziel reported that between May 2013 and March 2020, Barnes took a total of $115,775.12 from the bank account of the woman. “Both met when the woman expressed interest in buying children's books from Barnes in or around 2011, who was living in Melbourne at the time,” said the Courier report. “Barnes had travelled to Ballan to talk with the then-55-year-old woman about the books, beginning their friendship. “At an earlier plea hearing on February 13, the court heard of how Barnes had gained the trust of the woman over time, slowly positioning herself to have control over the woman's finances and online banking. “By February 2013, the relationship between Barnes and the woman had progressed to a point where Barnes indicated she wanted to move to Ballan to be closer to the pair. “Barnes had also become aware the woman had received a $99,000 inheritance from a deceased family member. “The victim gave $6000 to Barnes to cover the down payment on a house in Ballan.
“In early 2013, Barnes had completely gained the trust of the woman and was given access to their joint bank account as they did not know how to use online banking. Judge Sarah Dawes called the thefts "disgraceful" - pointing to the prolonged nature of the thefts. "While each offence on this own is not particularly serious, it is the fact that you have persistently offending over a period of almost seven years which increases the level of seriousness," Judge Dawes said. "It involved a level of calculation and persistence,” the Courier reported the Judge to say. Judge Dawes sentenced Barnes to a two year community corrections order, with 200 hours of community work.
MAN’S DAMAGE SPREE: ARSON AND THREATS ■ Emergency workers were confronted with a series of incidents from a man across the northern suburbs. Police charged a man following multiple incidents in North Coburg and Glenroy. It is alleged the agitated man threw items at staff, causing damage to a glass window, at a motor inn on Sydney Rd in North Coburg about 6.40am on Saturday, February 24. Later in the day, officers were called when it is believed the same man approached paramedics when they were responding to an incident at Post Office Place in Glenroy about 12.30pm. It is understood a verbal altercation occurred between the man and the paramedics, before the paramedics retreated away from the ambulance. Police will allege the man damaged the ambulance and scratched into the bonnet. The man then attended a payphone in Sydney Rd, near Spry St, in North Coburg and tried to set it on fire before he allegedly lit a fire in a skip bin nearby. Police arrested the 40-year-old man at the corner of Sydney and Boundary Rds shortly after. He was charged with criminal damage (arson), criminal damage and commit indictable offence whilst on bail. The man, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody to appear before Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court.
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Milan wanted on warrants
■ Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate Milan Radojevic. The 29-year-old is wanted on warrants in relation to breeching a court order. Radojevic is described as about 185cm tall, of medium build with short brown hair. He is known to frequent the Ivanhoe, Thomastown and Craigieburn areas. Investigators have released an image of Radojevic in the hope someone may be able to provide information on his current whereabouts.
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