R v JOB [2010] NSWDC 246

New South Wales District Court

CITATION: R v JOB [2010] NSWDC 246

HEARING DATE(S): 3 September 2010

JUDGMENT DATE: 3 September 2010

JURISDICTION: District Court Criminal

JUDGMENT OF: Berman SC DCJ

DECISION: The overall sentence is one with an effective non-parole period of three years and an overall term of five years.

CATCHWORDS: CRIMINAL LAW - Sentence - Obtain benefit by deception - Obtain a corrupt benefit - Official in RTA

LEGISLATION CITED: Crimes Act 1900

PARTIES: The Crown Damon Job

FILE NUMBER(S): 2009/187991

COUNSEL: P Nematalla - Offender

SOLICITORS: The Director of Public Prosecutions Riemer Winter Williamson

SENTENCE

1 HIS HONOUR: Damon Job appears for sentence on a number of charges relating to his corrupt and dishonest activity concerning four aspects of his work with the Roads and Traffic Authority. He pleaded guilty to these offences at an early stage (apart from one matter which, by oversight, was not dealt with in the Local Court. It was no fault of the offender that he only admitted his guilt on that matter when an indictment was presented in this Court).

2 The offender joined the Roads and Traffic Authority in 1998. In late 2003 he was appointed to the position of Operations Manager within the Traffic Management Centre. His duties there included responsibility for "tidal flow" operations, those traffic arrangements which are designed to give extra lanes of traffic travelling a particular direction during peak hour periods. As part of the employment he received training in anti-corruption, the RTA's Code of Conduct and the importance of declaring conflicts of interests where they arise.

3 The offender, however, used his position corruptly to benefit a friend of his parents, Terry Steptoe. The offender himself received benefits from Mr Steptoe for those corrupt actions. They continued for many years resulting in a significant loss, as well as associated significant gains to Mr Steptoe and, to a lesser extent, the offender himself. The offender's criminal activity occurred between 1 January 2004 and 31 March 2006. In that time, Mr Steptoe received approximately $300,000 of which $106,500 was paid to the offender as a reward for his corrupt activities.