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Financial consultant ordered to live with parents before trial over sexual assaults, bad cheques
Financial consultant ordered to live with parents before trial over sexual assaults, bad cheques

ABC News

time6 days ago

  • ABC News

Financial consultant ordered to live with parents before trial over sexual assaults, bad cheques

A Sydney financial consultant will live with his parents under strict bail conditions for a year as he awaits trial for dozens of sexual assault charges, accused of paying sex workers with dishonoured cheques and failed bank transfers. Mark Steven Sarian on Thursday pleaded not guilty to 49 charges, including 38 counts of sexual intercourse without consent, which relate to 12 women who allege they were fraudulently induced into sexual activity. The Crown alleges that over a five-month period in 2024, he agreed to pay the women for specified sexual acts either by cheque or deposit before blaming bank delays, promising to try another transfer when one failed, or complaining about their services. The 36-year-old's legal team will argue that he had a genuine intention to pay the complainants when he faces a trial next June, which is estimated to run for up to five weeks. Amendments to NSW law in 2022 aimed to better cover circumstances involving consent where participation in sexual activity is tied to so-called "fraudulent inducements". During a bail application on Thursday, the NSW District Court heard Mr Sarian told police, on body-worn camera: "They're just hustling me for cash." The Crown argued Mr Sarian had "no intention to pay" and handed over cheques to the first six complainants from a bank account that had been closed for over a decade. "The Crown submission is he has a compulsive determination to continue that offending," Crown prosecutor Ross Stainer said. The court heard that when two of the women confronted him, Mr Sarian complained about being "taken for a ride". "I wasn't given the service … It wasn't very entertaining. I'm trying to f****** teach her how to run her business," he allegedly said. "You just took me for a f****** ride and so I decided not to pay you." Mr Stainer argued that this approach continued when other complainants pursued him and Mr Sarian "lecture(d) them about how to run a business". Some complainants were paid from different accounts where a transaction appeared to be pending but it contained insufficient funds, the court heard. Another woman was asked by Mr Sarian for an invoice and was also "lectured", while one even opened a different bank account at his instruction. "It's just prevarication, because he had no intention to pay," Mr Stainer argued. The court heard Mr Sarian suggested to the women he was "a powerful person" and he told one of them chasing invoices was part of being an entrepreneur. "Get used to it," he allegedly said. Mr Sarian's defence counsel, Michael Gleeson, urged the judge to take a "creative" approach to stringent bail conditions and bestow a level of compassion on his client, given his mother has cancer and has been told she may live for less than 12 months. Mr Gleeson highlighted his client's community ties, including his father who attended court this week and was willing to welcome Mr Sarian back into the home. Judge Sharon Harris accepted the Crown case appeared strong, but said a "combination of factors" led her to conclude bail should be granted. Mr Sarian was handed strict conditions including to not leave the home unless for reasons such as work, medical or legal appointments and to report to police daily. He is banned from using encrypted messaging platforms, contacting any prosecution witness, consuming any restricted non-prescription substances and must surrender his passport. He is also prohibited from leaving NSW without court approval.

Awaiting sex crimes trials, billionaire Frank Stronach in Austria for a TV appearance
Awaiting sex crimes trials, billionaire Frank Stronach in Austria for a TV appearance

CBC

time14-06-2025

  • Business
  • CBC

Awaiting sex crimes trials, billionaire Frank Stronach in Austria for a TV appearance

Social Sharing On June 5, Canadian billionaire Frank Stronach was doing what has preoccupied him for years: hawking his economic ideas in front of the camera. But this was not one of his regular speeches at his Aurora, Ont., restaurant or at some Canadian business gala. The 92-year-old, who is to stand trial in Toronto and Newmarket, Ont., next year for more than a dozen alleged sex crimes, gave his economic stump speech an ocean away, in Austria, on a current affairs news program. Stronach, who had to surrender his passport to the courts when he was arrested in June 2024, has been in the country of his birth for three weeks, CBC News has learned. Court documents obtained by CBC News show that Stronach's bail conditions were quietly altered on May 21, granting him the return of his passport and ability to travel from May 24 to June 14. The section of the document set aside to provide reasons why a bail condition should be changed contains only a single sentence with no further explanation: "To allow Mr. Stronach to travel to Austria." The change to Stronach's bail conditions, which were requested by his Toronto lawyer, Leora Shemesh, was approved by assistant Crown attorney Jelena Vlacic. The alteration did not require a hearing before a judge, because the Crown did not object. Vlacic confirmed in an interview that she consented to the change. "I'm not in a position to sort of make any comments," she said when asked why she agreed. Not unusual to grant passport request: lawyer Although Stronach was required to surrender his passport last year, his bail conditions do not mention any other restrictions on travel, a common feature, said Ottawa criminal lawyer Michael Spratt. "Bail is not intended to be punitive," he told CBC News in a Friday interview. "An accused person is presumed innocent." Spratt said the primary reason a court orders the surrender of a passport is to prevent an accused person from fleeing the country. While someone of Stronach's wealth has the means to leave, Spratt said that is not the only consideration at hand. "If someone, say, suddenly moved a lot of assets into that country, or bought a home there, or bought a one-way ticket to a country that doesn't have an extradition treaty, the Crown might take a much harder look at that," said Spratt, who is not part of the Stronach case. If those sorts of conditions don't exist, the Crown is likely to grant the return of a passport, he said. Spratt said in a case like Stronach's, where a high-profile person is facing multiple criminal charges, the release of a passport will raise some eyebrows. But it is not unusual for such a request to be granted. Shemesh, in an emailed statement to CBC News, said the paperwork was a "formality." "He is presumed innocent. He has no criminal record. He maintains his innocence and enjoys the same freedoms we all do." 'A disappointing double standard for wealthy' Stronach is a well-known political and business figure in Austria. Aside from the fame and wealth he garnered from leading the Ontario-based auto-parts giant Magna for decades, he once ran his own political party in Austria. Called Team Stronach, the party had limited electoral success in 2013 but was a thing of the past by 2014. He surrendered his passport at the courthouse in Brampton, Ont., on June 7, 2024. Stronach, 91 at the time, was arrested and charged with sexual assault, rape and forcible confinement in cases involving 10 women dating back decades. By October 2024, his charge sheet ballooned to 18 criminal counts. Stronach has denied all of the charges against him, calling the allegations made by the women "lies." He now faces two trials. Twelve of the charges against him will be heard in a Toronto courtroom starting on Nov. 16, 2026. The remaining charges will be tried in York Region, with a jury trial scheduled to begin on June 1, 2026. CBC News reached out to several of the women who allege Stronach assaulted them. They declined to comment or could not be reached on Friday. "I'm baffled by Frank Stronach's presence in Austria. It was reported that he had surrendered his passport," said Jane Boon, a former Magna intern who says she had a sexual encounter with Stronach in 1986, when she was 19 and he was 54. Last year, Boon spoke to Fifth Estate reporter Mark Kelley about her uncomfortable sexual experience with Stronach, which is not part of any of the criminal cases the former auto-parts magnate is facing. "It was a horrible abuse of power," she told Kelley. "This extravagant trip suggests a disappointing double standard for wealthy defendants of serious crimes," she said Friday of Stronach's recent trip to Austria. However, Spratt said it is not uncommon for passports to be returned to people facing a criminal trial. Sometimes it is for a medical or family emergency, he said, and other times for something as simple as a vacation. Requests to change bail are also common in high-profile cases, including sex crime trials. In January 2014, then-CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi faced seven sexual assault charges, for which he was later acquitted. He, too, had to surrender his passport, and his bail conditions required him to live with his mother. The Crown later agreed to modify his bail, which included the return of his passport. But former fashion mogul Peter Nygard, currently serving 11 years in prison after being found guilty of four counts of sexual assault, was denied changes to his bail in 2024 because a judge said he presented a flight risk.

Galway arts worker charged with criminal damages to aircraft at Shannon refused permission to travel
Galway arts worker charged with criminal damages to aircraft at Shannon refused permission to travel

Irish Times

time21-05-2025

  • Irish Times

Galway arts worker charged with criminal damages to aircraft at Shannon refused permission to travel

A judge has refused to relax bail conditions to allow a Galway arts worker charged with the criminal damage of a US aircraft at Shannon Airport to travel to the UK for work. At Ennis District Court today, Judge Alec Gabbett said that Nell Buckley (29) 'is charged with serious offences' and refused an application to have Ms Buckley's passport returned to allow her travel on work funded by the Arts Council to Great Yarmouth over three days at the end of this month. Judge Gabbett said that the incident at Shannon Airport received wide publicity. He said that the great concern to the court is the serious issue about airport safety 'and there could potentially be an international incident'. READ MORE Ms Buckley of Ard Omra, Ballyburke, Ballymoneen Road, Galway who has a Masters qualification, is one of three women charged with the criminal damage of the Omni Air International aircraft at Shannon airfield on May 17th. It will be alleged that part of the front of the aircraft was spray painted with red paint. Ms Buckley is also charged with entering a restricted area beside the control tower at Shannon Airport with intent to unlawfully interfere with property on the same date. All three first appeared before a special sitting of Ennis District Court at 9pm on Sunday night and Ms Buckley's co-accused were bailed to reappear before court on July 9th on strict bail conditions. Ms Buckley also obtained bail and as part of Ms Buckley's own bail conditions, she is barred from entering any airport and must return her passport. In court today, solicitor for Ms Buckley, Daragh Hassett asked that Ms Buckley's bail be amended to allow her to travel to the UK for three days for work funded by the Arts Council. Det Garda Roddy Burke said that the concerns he outlined at the bail hearing on Ms Buckley entering an airport remain. Mr Hassett said that the charges Ms Buckley faces are 'serious' and she intends to contest those charges when the case comes for trial. Ms Buckley said that she has lived overseas for periods and did her Masters in the Netherlands and returned from there in 2020. Mr Hassett said that Ms Buckley's mother has an independent surety of €500 in court to allow her daughter make the journey. Mr Buckley agreed with Mr Hassett that she was travelling to the UK for work and not under the guise of a protester and would be travelling alone. Mr Hassett said that Ms Buckley's flight tickets are to fly out of Dublin on Ryanair. Judge Gabbett refused the application and remanded Ms Buckley on continuing bail to reappear in court on July 9th. Judge Gabbett later told Mr Hassett that he was not open to an application to allow Ms Buckley travel by ferry to the UK this month.

Arts Council employee accused of criminal damage to US aircraft at Shannon
Arts Council employee accused of criminal damage to US aircraft at Shannon

BreakingNews.ie

time21-05-2025

  • BreakingNews.ie

Arts Council employee accused of criminal damage to US aircraft at Shannon

A judge has refused to relax bail conditions to allow an Arts Council employee charged with the criminal damage of a US aircraft at Shannon airport to travel to England for work. At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Judge Alec Gabbett said Galway woman Nell Buckley (29) was "charged with serious offences" and refused to return her passport to allow her to travel on Arts Council work over three days at the end of this month. Advertisement Judge Gabbett said the incident at Shannon Airport received wide publicity in the papers and on social media. He said the great concern to the court was the serious issue about airport safety 'and there could potentially be an international incident'. Ms Buckley, of Ard Omra, Ballyburke, Ballymoneen Road, Galway, is one of three females charged with the criminal damage of the Omni Air International aircraft at Shannon on May 17th. It was alleged that part of the front of the aircraft was sprayed with red paint. Advertisement Ms Buckley is also charged with entering a restricted area beside the control tower at Shannon Airport with intent to unlawfully interfere with property on the same date. All three first appeared before a special sitting of Ennis District Court at 9pm on Sunday night. Ms Buckley's co-accused were bailed to re-appear before court on July 9th on strict bail conditions. Ms Buckley also obtained bail and is barred from entering any aerodrome and must return her passport. In court on Wednesday, Ms Buckley's solicitor, Daragh Hassett, asked that Ms Buckley's bail be amended to allow her to travel to the UK for three days for Arts Council work. Advertisement Det Garda Roddy Burke said the concerns he outlined at the bail hearing on Ms Buckley entering an airport remain. He said: "There is a possibility there will be further charges in this case." Mr Hassett said the charges Ms Buckley faced were 'serious' and she intended to contest those charges when the case comes for trial. Ireland Garda hospitalised following security incident at... Read More He said Ms Buckley had lived overseas for periods and did a masters' degree in the Netherlands and returned from there in 2020. Mr Hassett said Ms Buckley's mother has an independent surety of €500 in court to allow her daughter to make the journey. The court was told that Ms Buckley was going to England for work and not under the guise of a protester and would be travelling alone. Mr Hassett said Ms Buckley's flight tickets are to fly out of Dublin on Ryanair. Judge Gabbett refused the application and remanded Ms Buckley on continuing bail to re-appear in court on July 9th. The judge later told Mr Hassett that he was not open to an application to allow Ms Buckley travel by ferry to the UK this month.

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