After a big win at Golden Point Hotel pokies, a Ballarat punter allegedly deposited a fraudulent cheque for $40,000 in his account, despite only winning $4,000.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Mark Tuohy appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on September 20, 2023 for a contest mention, where he indicated he would likely plead not guilty to charges relating to the incident.
A police summary alleged on May 21, 2022, Tuohy visited the Golden Point Hotel where he won $4,000 on the pokies, and was provided with a cheque for his winnings.
The cheque was payed into Tuohy's Commonwealth Bank account on June 9, 2022, but had allegedly been altered to read $40,000 rather than the $4,000 that Tuohy actually won.
The amount was queried on June 23, 2022, and when the ANZ cheque was examined by the bank's fraud team, they found the amount had been altered to appear as $40,000.
On October 30, 2022, police obtained CCTV footage from the Commonwealth Bank of Tuohy allegedly depositing the money in his account, and obtained evidence from his bank statements, which showed the man had allegedly transferred $38,000 into a different account five days after depositing the money.
None of the money has been returned or recovered by the pub.
Tuohy, who represented himself, said on the night in question he had been drinking before he arrived at the pub, and couldn't remember most of the evening.
He said he had no memory of leaving the venue, but went to a party that "got pretty messy that night" after the win.
When Tuohy woke the following morning, he said a friend told him he had won $40,000 and handed him the cheque.
ALSO IN THE NEWS:
"When I woke up, my friend, who has since passed away, told me I won $40,000 the night before at the pokies, [to which] I said 'really?'" He said.
He also asked the court if he would face a reduced sentence if he returned the money, minus his $4000 winnings, to the pub.
Magistrate Hugh Radford warned Tuohy about the severity of the charges he was facing, but said if the money was returned to the pub, it would be a significant factor in determining his sentence if eventually found guilty.
"The problem you've got is $40,000 is a pretty sizeable sum, when you nick that amount, you're looking at a prison term," he said.
The matter was adjourned until November 22, 2023, so further evidence could be brought before the court.
Sign up to receive The Courier's news alerts straight to your inbox.
