Former television presenter James Mathison has escaped a conviction after he was charged with failing to hand liquidators financial records over an outstanding $120,000 tax bill.
The former Australian Idol host was charged in October with not giving a liquidator a report as prescribed in time and failing to deliver books to a liquidator.
Liquidators last year complained to ASIC that Mathison hindered its investigation by not handing over financial books or reports detailing the asset holdings of his media company, Whitlock Brennan & McCall.
Mathison used the company to kickstart his career in media for five years to 2017 before it went into liquidation in December 2020.
At the time, the company owed $120,000 to the Australian Taxation Office, according to court documents.
Court documents reveal Mathison was first contacted by Anthony John Warner of CRS Insolvency Services Australia on December 11, 2020, about handing over the report, books and records.
By January 13 the liquidators had not received anything and constantly tried contacting Mathison, who said he would provide them by late January.
When that did not happexjmtzywn he was contacted again on February 18 and was warned his noncompliance would be reported to ASIC.
Mathison repeatedly promised he would provide the report until months later on October 7 when ASIC finally charged him with failure to prescribe the information and he was told he would have to appear in court.
He issued the liquidators with the information by November 5 and first faced court four days later.
Mathison on Tuesday faced Sydney’s Downing Centre Court, where his lawyer Carly Hydes formally entered pleas of guilty.
The 44-year-old sat at the back of the courtroom as Ms Hydes told the court her client did not employ an accountant or seek additional support when his company went into liquidation.
“Covid added another level and he had issues accessing documents, but he was naive about the gravity of his delay,” she said.
“There was a lack of diligence and attention to these matters.”
Ms Hydes said Mathison was apologetic and suffered embarrassment when the charges were made public.
“He has learnt a valuable lesson,” she said.
Magistrate Clare Farnan said the offences were “serious” but conceded Mathison jumped into action once he received the charges.
“By the time the matter came to court he had in fact rectified his default,” she said.
Mathison was released without conviction but will undergo a recognisance release order where he must pay $500 in sureties and remain of good behaviour for 12 months.
