Ice user posed as a flood victim to pay for drug habit
In the months after decorating most of a historical flood city, damaging thousands of homes and displaced family, a drug user demanded a disaster payment to finance ice addiction.
Between March and July 2022, Brodie O’Hhanlon admitted that he had made 70 fraudulent claims between March and July 2022 through a federal government program for Lismorefal victims.
While residing in Leeton, O’Hhanlon in NSW Riverina made the wrong allegations about the wrong life and work to get aid payments in the destroyed Northern Rivers City.
In a plan that supports employees affected by the Covid-19 pandemi isolation, he received another $ 9000 using false identities.
At that time, 25-year-old O’Hhanlon made more attempts to request a flood assistance of 25,000 dollars and Covid-19 payments of $ 30,000, but either withdrew them or rejected after being defined as fraudulent.
In the NSW Regional Court, he was found guilty of gaining financial advantage in an honest way because they were trying to deceive and do it.
At the end of 2024, O’Hhanlon was sentenced to 26 months of imprisonment, with the order of release of a good behavior in November 2025 after he paid back the money and served for a year.
However, on Monday, the NSW Criminal Court ordered it to be released immediately after eight months, and no subjective evidence was presented to the serious disadvantage of the punishment judgment.
The Court of Appeal heard that there was a $ 1500 ice habit per day that began after O’Hhanlon’s mother’s death.
As a child growing in Far Western NSW, he was subjected to violence and alcoholism and drank wine up to four liters every day from the age of 12.
In 2024, O’Hhanlon tried to enter the drug rehabilitation, but when he was on a long waiting list, he recurred and was imprisoned for separate domestic violence and driving crimes.
He said he regretted a psychologist for fraud, but seemed to be a better option than robbing someone to the court.
When he was in prison, O’Hhanlon worked as a farm hand, Narcotics attended anonymous meetings and stayed away from drugs.
Justice Andrew Coleman, for reasons supported by two appeal judges, says that he wants to stay fake. Of course, the path to rehabilitation may not be simple after release and may be subjected to attractive and influence by anti-social peers. ” He said.
He continued: “If he interacts with services … And if he fulfills his desire to enter the rehabilitation of housing when he is released, I think that his expectations to resist such charm and impact will be strengthened.”
O’Hhanlon remained more than $ 16,000 for his repayments, and after being released, he will be under the supervision of community corrections.
