Four men involved in $1.4m SA Victims of Crime fraud case avoid jail

Four men who received fraudulent payments from South Australia's Victims of Crime Compensation Fund have been given suspended sentences.

More than $1.4 million in fraudulent payments were made to friends and associates of Nicholas Wayne Lowe, 32, who worked in the Crown Solicitor's Office.

The District Court heard Lowe took nearly half of the total payout for himself.

Lowe's brother-in-law, James Peter Moore, 22, admitted being paid $70,000 in two instalments after Lowe offered to help him buy a car.

Judge Paul Muscat said Moore was "sucked in" by Lowe, who he looked up to.

"You signed the document necessary to finalise that first claim the day after you turned 18 years. You bought a car with the $20,000 you received," he said.

The court heard Moore then signed another document to receive a second payment of $50,000 which he split with Lowe.

"Your brother-in-law took advantage of your immaturity and impressionable nature to involve you in his devious and highly criminal scheme," Judge Muscat said.

"You were impressed by the way your brother-in-law lived his life compared to your parents' frugal lifestyle and you got sucked in to believing that you too wanted to live your life that way, and so you became brand conscious and wanted to look cool like your brother-in-law.

"You allowed these views to influence your decision to become involved in the scheme."

Judge Muscat gave credit to Moore for his full cooperation with the police investigation and genuine remorse, noting he had since paid back the money he fraudulently received.

He suspended an 18-month jail sentence and placed Moore on a 12-month good behaviour bond.

Unknown fate caused 'anxiety and stress'

The court heard Lowe also convinced another acquaintance, Steven James Langston, 59, to sign his name.

He received a $50,000 cheque, of which he kept $16,000 and gave the rest to Lowe.

The court heard he used the money to go on a holiday with his partner and to pay off debts.

"You knew what was up and went along with it and several months later you received a cheque," Judge Muscat said.

Judge Muscat said he accepted Langston was remorseful and also since repaid the money back to the public purse.

He said despite the men's early guilty pleas, the case had taken a long time to resolve.

"You have had this matter hanging over your head for two years now," he said.

"Not knowing your fate for so long has naturally caused you anxiety and stress."

He suspended Langston's 12-month jail sentence in favour of a 12-month good behaviour bond.

Others who received payouts, Andrew John Soliatis, 33, and Daniel Stephen Almstetter, 26, also received suspended sentences.

The court heard Soliatis was from Sydney and used his $50,000 cheque to buy a unit, which he now intended to sell to help repay the money.

Lowe convinced him to make a bogus claim relating to injuries he had suffered after getting into a fight over a poker machine, despite no police report being made.

Almstetter was given $10,000 after Lowe heard he had suffered a leg injury playing football.

The court heard he did not want to use the money and kept it in a separate account.

It has now been repaid.

Four still await sentencing

Four others involved in the scheme, including Lowe and his wife Andrea Ruth Lowe, 30, are awaiting sentence.

Earlier, the court was told Andrea Lowe, a former personal assistant to Minister Jennifer Rankine, did not know her husband had hatched the scheme to defraud the public purse.

She has pleaded guilty to impeding the police investigation into the fraudulent payments from by deleting email correspondence between her and her husband, after police had spoken to her about the fraud.

A lawyer for Andrea Lowe said she knew her husband was involved in something risky, but thought he was growing cannabis.

He said Nicholas Lowe controlled the finances because his wife was addicted to shopping.

She will be sentenced tomorrow.