Prison for sheep sale: Flock sold twice

BY MICHELLE HERBISON
A SHEEP scam that ripped off nearly $500,000 from two victims has put a Winchelsea man in jail.
Matthew Jonathon Patton, 38, pleaded guilty in Geelong County Court on Wednesday to two charges of obtaining financial benefit by deception.
Judge Susan Pullen told the court Patton used an investment website to advertise and sell sheep he “did not have and did not own”.
“What commenced as a legitimate business venture became, in your own words, a complete shemozzle,” Judge Pullen said.
The court heard Patton’s victim signed a contract after answering an online advertisement, paying him $110,502 for 866 sheep.
The victim then visited Winchelsea where Patton convinced him to buy another 1200 sheep for $169,400.
Patton had previously gained $207,053 from another victim for the same flock, Judge Pullen said.
“He had paid for more sheep than the number that existed. You were selling the same sheep to two different investors.”
The court heard Patton voluntarily went to Narrewarren police station to confess.
Judge Pullen said Patton had prior convictions dating back to 1993.
A forensic psychologist’s report detailed Patton’s mental health issues from a troubled childhood and a financial loss from people he trusted who “duped” him.
Patton learned “sometimes you need to be ruthless” from moving between homes and starting work at 14, the report said.
An emotional breakdown hospitalised him twice in 2010.
“At the time of offending you were overwhelmed by emotions and unable to think logically about the situation,” Judge Pullen read from the report.
Patton was declared bankrupt earlier this year, she said.
Judge Pullen sentenced Patton to 16 months prison with seven months non-parole.
She slashed one month from an initial eight-month non-parole period after discovering a custody mix-up that left Patton in the court’s watch-house “with limited resources” for five days.
Judge Pullen said she was “very generous” because Patton had pleaded guilty and was unrepresented in court.
Patton’s wife and a younger woman cried and hugged as Patton was sentenced.