Regiment duty dodgers fined
Two Regiment soldiers were given suspended sentences after admitting repeatedly failing to attend training.
Ryan Lima, 21, of Pembroke, pleaded guilty to missing training on 16 occasions, disobeying an order to complete 15 days of extra duty and failing to pay a $562.75 fine.
And Fabio Botelho, 24, pleaded guilty to missing training on 30 different occasions.
Magistrates’ Court heard that since Lima was first enlisted in 2010, he had performed a total of 43 drills, while Botelho had performed 102 drills since being enlisted in 2009. The Regiment requires soldiers to carry out a minimum of 40 drills per year.
Both men apologised to the court, saying that they intend to finish their required period of service.
Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner sentenced both men to three months in prison, suspending the sentences for a period of 12 months.
In addition to the suspended sentenced, Mr Warner fined Lima a total of $1,500 for his offences, and fined Botelho $1,000.
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