A judge has revealed a fake gynaecologist, who practised IVF in Melbourne with false Italian medical qualifications, escaped imprisonment in Rome by lying to a court that he was a doctor in Australia. During a lengthy sentencing in the County Court on Thursday, Judge Bill Stuart said the offending of Raffaele Di Paolo, who fleeced aspiring parents and falsely told women they were pregnant, was “gross”, “brutal” and “profound”. The 61-year-old used documents falsified in Italy to steal a combined $385,000 from 23 would-be-parents in a decade-long scam. The court heard he narrowly avoided four months’ jail in Italy in 2006, accused of practising medicine without a licence, by lying in court that he was an Australian doctor. “In the mirror image you purported in Australia to being a legally qualified medical practitioner,” Judge Stuart said. “Your capacity for deception in profound.” Di Paolo was found guilty of fraud, indecent assault and sexual penetration charges in April following a County Court trial, during which he denied the allegations. He was either found guilty of, or admitted to, 26 counts of obtaining property by deception, two of attempting to obtain property by deception, five of procuring sexual penetration by fraud, four of indecent assault and 14 of common assault. He also admitted to five counts of practising as a medical specialist when he wasn’t qualified to do so. The charlatan falsely told seven women they were pregnant. Other women had internal investigations performed, underwent ultrasounds, were injected with unknown substances and had blood taken. Men had their testicles examined, including one who had sperm extracted by needle. Judge Stuart told the court Di Paolo faced up to five years’ imprisonment for procuring sexual penetration by fraud, a jail term he called “wholeheartedly inadequate”. The sentencing hearing continues.
July 6, 2018
Aon has appointed Angela San Diego as client director and national practice leader of aged care.
July 6, 2018
A former Navy officer who posed as a paramedic and gave more than 130 people flu jabs will be sentenced in a Brisbane court today. Calvin Jordan Wahlberg, 40, pleaded guilty to forgery and two counts of fraud in the Brisbane District Court after working for more than five years as an emergency medical technician, including on a remote mine site at Emerald, and as a supervisor to other medical staff. During his time at the mine, he distributed 133 influenza vaccines, the court was told. In 2009, Wahlberg falsified certificates and qualifications, including a diploma of paramedical science, to get a job with the private emergency management company who hired him to work at the mine. His cover was sprung in December 2015 when he applied to become a member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Paramedics and he was later charged. Defence barrister Ben Power told the court Wahlberg was hired for a role he had qualifications for but later acted in a role above his station. Mr Power conceded it was unlikely Wahlberg would have been given the job in the first place had he not claimed he was a qualified paramedic. “This is not someone who is a deranged fantasist who is likely to repeat this,” he said during the sentencing hearing on Thursday. “It’s someone who left school, went into the Navy and had to leave in circumstances that were not his choosing, made stupid mistakes still as quite a young person and was working in a field having made false statements and continued on. “The Health Ombudsman has conducted an investigation and he’s now on a banning order so he can’t work in the field of health.” The court heard the 40-year-old had left the Navy after intense bullying over his sexuality. Judge Deborah Richards will sentence Wahlberg today.
July 5, 2018
A s.394 (Unfair dismissal) claim by Sabri Khan Yazgan against Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has been rejected by Senior Deputy President Hamberger in Sydney on 4 July 2018.
July 5, 2018
Aqualand appoints Warwick Smith and Gabrielle Trainor to its board.
July 5, 2018
A s.185 (Enterprise agreement) application from Tandara Lodge Community Care Inc for The Tandara Lodge Community Inc General Staff Enterprise Agreement 2017 has been ratified by Fair Work Commissioner Saunders in Newcastle on 3 July 2018.
July 5, 2018
A s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) by Ms Jean Madden citing Street Swags Ltd has been stayed by Fair Work Commissioner Hunt sitting in Brisbane on 5 July 2018, pending the outcome of related criminal proceedings taken against Ms Madden.
July 5, 2018
A s.437 (Protected action) application from the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch naming North Richmond Health has been issued by Fair Work Vice President Catanzariti in Sydney on 4 July 2018.
