A former operator of a Geelong traffic control business has lost his appeal against a jail sentence for a $2 million fraud.
Brian Munn, 55, failed to convince Victoria’s Supreme Court of Appeal this week to overturn his three-year jail term.
Munn supplied traffic control services to construction sites under various company names including 24/7 Traffic (Geelong) Pty Ltd, which went into liquidation in 2011.
Munn pleaded guilty to three charges in July last year for dishonestly obtaining $1.9 million from labour hire service firm AB Contracts between 2013 and 2014.
He was sentenced in June this year to the three years with a non-parole period of 18 months.
Munn made and submitted false time-sheets for staff from the labour-hire firm, the court heard.
As an undischarged bankrupt at the time he was not permitted to be a director of any company but continued doing business.
During 2010 to 2013 Munn accrued debts to several other labour hire companies before beginning work with AB Contracts, the court heard.
Munn appealed his jail sentence on grounds of “manifest inadequacy”.
Supreme Court Judges David Beach, Emilios Kyrou and Terence Forrest dismissed his appeal on Thursday.
The judges said Munn “repeatedly lied” and was “seemingly impervious” to his financial harm of AB Contracts.
“The offending in the present case was very serious,” they said.
“It was planned, prolonged, callous and involved significant amounts of money.
“In the light of the gravity of his offending and his high moral culpability, the mitigating factors did not diminish the need for a significant custodial sentence.”
