Ex-Olympic champ, wife ‘ecstatic’ as fraud case dropped

Former Olympic swimming champion Neil Brooks and his wife Linda were “overjoyed” to learn their long-running fraud charges were about to be formally quashed in a Brisbane court.

The two were accused of making fraudulent misrepresentations to persuade investor Glenn Melcheck and his wife to pay $1.95 million for a 50 percent stake in their sporting goods company in 2008.

Brooks and the Melchecks held a series of meetings before signing a deal in January 2008 after being introduced by a third party in late 2007.

Days later, the Melchecks paid a $50,000 deposit before the now-defunct company collapsed within a few months.

In the Brisbane District Court on Wednesday, prosecutors told Judge Anthony Rafter they would not proceed with the case, effectively ending the prosecution.

Brooks’ attorney, Daniel Hannay, said nearly a decade later, they were finally vindicated.

“We had a face-to-face discussion last night; I told them the good news, they were both abroad,” he said in a statement.

“We shed many tears but did not say many words. They are both very happy that the matter is finally over and they can move on with their lives.”

Brooks was charged in 2017 and during the hearings the court heard allegations of relationships with major European football clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United.

Prosecutors had alleged that the couple, as directors of the company, made misleading claims about the success of the business and its prospects for encouraging investment.

Brooks won a gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and was part of Australia’s famous “Mean Machine” relay team before working as a television presenter.