An acting Supreme Court judge has maintained a court date for a former Launceston accountant who is set to plead guilty to multiple fraud charges.
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The judge dismissed defence claims it was not ready to proceed.
In April, Justice Robert Pearce set a date of July 31 for James Redmond Burrows to appear for a plea on fraud charges involving more than $2.1 million.
Mr Burrows, 36, of Hawthorn East Victoria, is facing charges including 137 counts of fraud involving $373,000 and 19 counts of stealing by misappropriation and stealing $204,800 between September 2017 and March 2020.
Police allege Mr Burrows, through his role as a tax agent, misappropriated individual tax returns and falsified business activity statements for his financial benefit from September 2017 to March 2020.
After a joint investigation between the Tasmania Police and the ATO, the charges were laid.
He first appeared in the Launceston Magistrates Court in May 2021 and has since appeared more than a dozen times in court.
Justice Pearce told Mr Burrows' Hobart-based barrister Cameron Scott that the availability of lawyers did not dictate the court schedule.
"Oh, come on, Mr Scott, we can't run around your availability," he said.
On Monday, crown prosecutor Simone Wilson said that it was the second time the case had been listed for plea after initially being listed for May 4.
She requested that Burrows be bailed to appear in court in person on July 31.
Mr Scott said that the defence was not available that day.
He said his instructing solicitor in Melbourne was involved in a trust dispute in which legal costs could exceed $1 million.
"I don't need to know that," Acting Justice David Porter said.
Mr Scott then said that the defence was still awaiting psychological reports and in particular a report on addiction.
"I'm not minded to discuss this in the middle of a busy remand day, I've been told that this date was organised by Justice Pearce," Acting Justice Porter said.
Mr Scott sought to hand up case law on the desirability of an instructing solicitor being present in the court at time of plea.
"I'm not interested in that," Acting Justice Porter said.
Ms Wilson said that the crown submission was that the 10am on July 31 date be retained.
"The defence has known the date was coming and has known since April and it was said in April that they were awaiting reports," she said.
Acting Justice Porter said he saw no reason to depart from what Justice Pearce had put in place and the matter could be for hearing or further directions on that day.
Court documents show Burrows is charged with 137 counts of fraud allegedly involving a total of $373,000 and 19 counts of stealing by misappropriation and stealing by an agent a total of $204, 800.
One fraud count involved $228.44 credited to a Sportsbet account.
Mr Burrows is charged with 122 counts of using a computer with intent to defraud involving a total amount of more than $1 million.
Companies allegedly defrauded by Mr Burrows include Launceston companies Simle Pty Ltd, nearly $200,000, Webber Holdings, more than $400,000, and Josh Hart Investments, more than $204,000.
The 28 counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception allegedly involve amounts between $144 and $19,216 for a total of $185,000.
One count alleges Mr Burrows obtained a financial advantage by deception by lodging a false credit amount associated with an income tax return belonging to Blue Phoenix Super without their knowledge or consent. The alleged financial advantage of $19,216 was from the Australian Taxation Office.
Mr Burrows also faces 32 counts of inserting false information as data involving a total of $377,000.
The documents indicate that Mr Burrows used some allegedly fraudulent funds to repay other clients of his firm JRB Accounting.
Many of the offences were allegedly committed to pay the liabilities of Tasmania2GoPty Ltd-a company owned by a business couple which Mr Burrows had allegedly stolen from.
Mr Burrows allegedly charged one complainant $7200 for tax work not completed by him.
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
