The Conman's Revenge

There is an incredible article on the ABC News website today.


I would not have thought that such actions could actually have been possible.
Ah well, as they say, “The law is an ass”.

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This loop hole is pervasive in many ways. This highlights anyone can make a bogus bill and claim papers were served. In Victoria builders hire their own surveyors to certify quality of their sometimes dodgy construction and there is little to no recourse for the victims save for lengthy and expensive court cases; in jurisdictions that care the inspections are by council staff or at least council-hired contractors who are paid to assure compliance.

I suspect there are myriad other examples of our illustrious governments allowing ‘self-policing’ and ‘self management’ without oversights. When it hits the fan the first response is ‘who would have known?’ and a disinclination to change it until all possible deflections have been exhausted.

The refusal of government to want the RC in Banking is a prime example. See no evil and hear no evil so there must be no evil.

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I read the same article.

It is beyond my under standing that the circumstances described are permitted by law in Victoria. I now wonder how many other jurisdictions could be subject to similar miscarriages. Or other legal circumstances.

It is certainly not justice. It is made worse by the law that erred not admitting to a mistake. The law requiring the inocent parties to not only prove the law erred, but to fund the court and legal costs is beyond logic or reason. Farewell to the reasonable man!

P.s. Of course our laws and legal system owe much to defence of the crown, influential and wealthy of England since times dating back to the Tudors or earlier. Which may explain why they owe little to common sense and defence of the ordinary citizen.

For all the cleverness of our legal profession it is even more amazing that the circumstances of this series of false claims were not foreseen by the learned legal profession long before this outcome, and the legal procedures amended to be sure no such travesty could be rained upon innocent victims.

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I submit that most of it is more recent and steeped in the ideology of a certain political ideology, although there is much of a muchness between the choices. The dogma is that less oversight is good for business, business is honest, and self policing works.

The evidence of self policing is rubbish that is deeper than the law books, yet the pollies persist and circle the wagons. How long did it take for force the banking RC for example? It is protection of businesses above all and the failures of those ‘laws’ spill into every day life. We have precious few checks and balances anywhere in out governmental system, and none are required that I can tell. Our system is essentially open slather on what one can get away with until it becomes so egregious government cannot avoid doing something, no matter how little.

Conflict is good for business, and many lawyers are happy to fight for your rights to your last dollar, as the old saw goes.

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The ABC News website reports that this conman received an 8 year sentence with a minimum period of 6 years.


Presumably the sentencing judge will be carefully keeping tabs on her financial affairs, especially after the next 6 years.

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From my perspective that reinforces the failure of most laws. The perp is jailed but the victims remain victims, significantly out of pocket and often very disadvantaged. But further to the custodial sentence, there is some hope he will be more properly dealt with.

Antonio Dattilo, 44, faces deportation to Italy after serving his sentence on more than 20 offences relating to perverting the course of justice and perjury.

Maybe one of us will remember this in 6-8 years time and add how he goes, and hopefully he will.

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Wow. And to think that I was happy when the insane window for response (10 days) was increased to (functionally) 21.

I agree that there should be an immediate and easy fix - mandate that summons are served by bailiff services. No stat decs by people who stand to profit.

If this loophole isn’t fixed, this will be the next wave of scams - (debt collection) and the financial version of revenge-porn (bankruptcy).

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A fitting sub-plot for the next series of ‘Rake’ if one is ever made?

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I saw this story, and given the description pondered why it doesn’t occur more often. (I suspect it will now that it has been brought to public notice.)

“Yes yer honour, of course I served the papers on the defendant that are totally not in my interests to serve”.

The law obviously needs to be fixed to remove the service of papers from the claimant’s hands. Presumably in this case the man’s assets will be surrendered to his victims, but the government should also consider footing some of the costs they were forced to bear to prove innocence!

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The governments responses as far as I can tell to date, be it dodgy ‘I served the papers’ or compromised surveyors.

Has anyone read about movement, anywhere or is this another classic ‘All problems will pass given enough time’ and the ‘missing role of government’ will continue unabated to assure businesses avoid ‘red tape’ and enabling dodgies is considered a price to be paid for an extra dollar in a pocket.

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Not yet - but if the government tries to ignore this issue I expect it to blow up big-time. Basically, the gig is up now that other potential scammers have heard how to do it.

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