Source – Herald Sun
Date – 8 February 2016
A man accused of using false documents to become a maths teacher was employed at four Victorian schools, a court has heard.
Julian Taylor, 51, is accused of obtaining about $250,000 by deception after using a falsified birth certificate and other documents.
The Supreme Court heard Mr Taylor claimed skills in mathematics and accounting and the false documents enabled him to get around background checks which would have identified a criminal past.
Through his alleged deceptions he was able to gain work at four secondary colleges and facilities in Victoria, and others in South Australia and the Northern Territory between 2005 and 2015, the court heard.
Justice Paul Coghlan said the current charges related to Mr Taylor’s qualifications as a teacher “obtained under false pretences,” despite Mr Taylor seeing it as an “altruistic” endeavour.
“You can’t say that because you thought it was all right, it was all right … there are things I think you don’t get,” Justice Coghlan said.
“If you came in here and said it’s raining outside I’d send my tipstaff outside to see if that was the case.”
Justice Coghlan said he had serious concerns about Mr Taylor’s insight into his alleged offending and questioned why he had not told police where he lived.
The court heard Mr Taylor previously held two passports under different names, including a UK passport and an alternative name of Stephen Barr.
The court heard a deception in order to teach “undermines the reputation of the teaching institutions” and Justice Coghlan said parents would hold concerns about their children being taught under those circumstances.
Representing himself, Mr Taylor said he had an engineering degree, claimed the behaviour of arresting police was “outrageous”.
“For the last ten years I’ve been working,” he told Justice Coghlan.
“I haven’t got so much as a parking ticket for jaywalking.”
Justin Coglan refused bail and a further application has been adjourned for a date to be fixed.