opalops
28th Aug 2009, 05:04
A man who posed as a qualified Qantas aircraft engineer and presented fake references to a court in his defence has had his sentence extended by eight months.
Timothy McCormack, 27, is serving a jail term of three years and five months for falsifying his qualifications.
During sentencing proceedings for that offence in December, McCormack produced four fake character references, which were today described by District Court Judge Greg Woods, as containing "amazing hyperbole" and "complete humbug".
One reference said lives would be "more at risk" without McCormack's "extraordinary knowledge" in aircraft safety.
Another claimed he had starred in and won the "Best and Fairest" title in what was discovered to be a fake Australian Rules competition.
Judge Woods likened McCormack's lies to the "swashbuckling" exploits of the fictional character Walter Mitty, from the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
"That character was simply dreaming and caused no harm," Judge Woods said. "By contrast, the offender's falsehoods operated in the real world and were potentially damaging."
The court heard McCormack had no mental illness and was raised by a loving family.
Judge Woods said something had "gone astray" but it was not his parents' fault.
"No doubt the parents are a puzzled as ... I have been at the indulgence of this offender in his pathological lying."
For the offences of making use of fabricated evidence in judicial proceedings and attempting to pervert the course of justice, McCormack was sentenced to a maximum of two years in jail. He will be eligible for release in December 2012.
Timothy McCormack, 27, is serving a jail term of three years and five months for falsifying his qualifications.
During sentencing proceedings for that offence in December, McCormack produced four fake character references, which were today described by District Court Judge Greg Woods, as containing "amazing hyperbole" and "complete humbug".
One reference said lives would be "more at risk" without McCormack's "extraordinary knowledge" in aircraft safety.
Another claimed he had starred in and won the "Best and Fairest" title in what was discovered to be a fake Australian Rules competition.
Judge Woods likened McCormack's lies to the "swashbuckling" exploits of the fictional character Walter Mitty, from the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
"That character was simply dreaming and caused no harm," Judge Woods said. "By contrast, the offender's falsehoods operated in the real world and were potentially damaging."
The court heard McCormack had no mental illness and was raised by a loving family.
Judge Woods said something had "gone astray" but it was not his parents' fault.
"No doubt the parents are a puzzled as ... I have been at the indulgence of this offender in his pathological lying."
For the offences of making use of fabricated evidence in judicial proceedings and attempting to pervert the course of justice, McCormack was sentenced to a maximum of two years in jail. He will be eligible for release in December 2012.