Flight Centre fraudster facing extradition after stealing nearly $40,000 from customers, business

A serial fraudster who stole nearly $40,000 from his workplace over almost a year is facing extradition back to Canberra.

Justin Dion Appleton, 39, is facing sentencing for two charges of theft and one of burglary over offending committed while employed at the Flight Centre storefront within the Canberra Centre.

The case returned to the ACT Supreme Court on Friday (9 May), where the court heard Mr Appleton, who was in South Australia, had said he was too ill to attend court for sentencing.

His defence lawyer, Aaron Kernaghan, said he had been instructed that Mr Appleton would not be attending court in person or through a video link, and that his client understood he was “at risk of a bench warrant” if he wasn’t there.

According to previously tendered court documents, Mr Appleton was employed at Flight Centre between February 2019 and December 2019.

He would go on to steal the money through ”cash skimming” while employed, and burglaries from the store after he resigned, to support his gambling habit.

Over 11 transactions, he skimmed about $22,000 from Flight Centre after customers deposited money to pay for their trips.

After he resigned, Mr Appleton also used an employee code to enter the storefront when it was closed on the weekends “between six and eight times” between January and April 2020.

While inside the premises, he would go into the back of the store and take money from cash transactions, in amounts that ranged from $500 to $4400.

This money was then deposited into his bank account.

An investigation began after a former colleague saw Mr Appleton entering the store in May 2020 and police were eventually contacted.

Also, the documents state he made $8900 in weekly payments back to Flight Centre in an attempt to repay the money (leaving $31,015.72 outstanding).

On Friday, the court heard that he had recently fallen off a retaining wall, injuring his back, and had sought a medical certificate.

The doctor who treated Mr Appleton gave evidence to the court and said he had signed a medical certificate stating he couldn’t work until 11 May.

“He was experiencing back pain with some tenderness and I assessed that was consistent with his story of the fall,” he said.

“I prescribed some medications and other treatments and thought [it] unwise that he proceeded to work for that period.”

Also, the court heard the doctor had discussed Mr Appleton’s ability to work, but not his ability to travel (including to the ACT for court dates), during the appointment.

Given Mr Appleton’s medical condition, the doctor said his patient wouldn’t have “too much difficulty” flying to Canberra from South Australia, but he would have advised against driving.

The court heard claims of past potentially faked medical certificates, and the doctor said he knew of ones that allegedly “weren’t written by me or had been altered”.

Justice Lucy McCallum issued a warrant for Mr Appleton’s arrest, and said there were specific requirements to be executed from court.

“[For him to be excused,] what the court requires is cogent medical evidence that he is unfit to travel,” she said.