A fake Tahitian prince has pleaded guilty to stealing $16 million from Queensland Health. Source: AAP
A FAKE Tahitian prince has been jailed for 14 years for stealing $16.6 million from Queensland taxpayers to fund his lavish lifestyle.
In sentencing Joel Morehu-Barlow, Brisbane District Court Judge Kerry O'Brien said he could not ignore the huge amount of cash taken from the public purse, nor the need for deterrence.
The judge ignored defence barrister David Shepherd's assertions that a 10-year sentence was warranted.
He agreed with the crown's submission that the breach of trust was so severe it required a cumulative sentence totalling 14 years.
Morehu-Barlow's supporters, who had jovially greeted him when he entered the dock, swore in disbelief when the lengthy jail term was handed down.
He will not be eligible for parole until December 2016, despite having already served more than a year behind bars in pre-sentence custody.
During the lengthy hearing before a packed gallery of media, supporters and onlookers, the court was told Barlow created a false business to siphon money from a Queensland Health account set up to provide grants to charitable groups.
The 38-year-old former health staffer even dared to forge documents with the signatures of former ministers Paul Lucas and Stephen Robertson in order to facilitate the transactions.
The court heard the offending escalated until his final transaction in late 2011, when he approved an $11 million payment to himself by piggybacking off an existing funding agreement between the government and James Cook University for the provision of dental services in Cairns and Townsville.
The court heard he spent the cash on cars, designer goods, and gifts for friends and family.
He also spent money on his drug habit.
To hide his deceit he told people he was a Tahitian prince who had to work in order to gain his inheritance.
But his plan unravelled when a complaint was made to police, and the paper trail led back to him.
He was arrested after trying to take his own life, and has remained in protective custody.
The court heard around $12 million of the stolen funds has been recovered, with some of the goods being publicly auctioned recently.
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