23 May 2013

Flood sequel: Time behind bars for double flood fraud and driving disqualified

A MAN who claimed nearly $2000 worth of flood benefits he wasn't entitled to, and drove disqualified while already on a suspended sentence for the same offence will be behind bars for three months.

Raymond Radunz, 29, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud and one count of driving while disqualified.

The court heard Radunz was on bail for flood fraud charges from the 2011 floods when he committed two counts of fraud following the flood earlier this year.

On February 9, 2011 in Ipswich, Radunz claimed $170 of flood assistance, fraudulently using a false address.

The next day he used his real address to claim a further $170.

Two years later, while on bail for those charges, Radunz used the 2013 flood to again defraud the system.

He legally claimed $900 of flood assistance for himself, his partner and three children, on Wednesday, February 6, in Ipswich.

The next day he claimed another $900 of flood benefits in Beenleigh, and again in Moorooka on Friday, February 8.

Across the two floods he defrauded the government a total of $1970.

Radunz, who has never held a licence, also pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified.

He had already been banned from driving until August 2015 and had served time in prison for driving while disqualified.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess said due to his history of driving offences and disregarding court orders the disqualified driving charges were more severe than the fraud, despite the amount of money he had defrauded from the community.

Radunz was sentenced to nine months prison for disqualified driving, and three months in prison for each of the three fraud charges, to be served concurrently with a parole release date in three months.

www.QT.com.au