An Adelaide man who defrauded the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) of more than $58,000 avoids prison after a court deems his actions stemmed from desperation to sustain a struggling business.
Court Sentencing Details
Adrian Cameron Bembrick, 41, faces sentencing in Adelaide’s District Court on Monday for a series of dishonest claims made between July 2019 and March 2020. He previously pleaded guilty to obtaining financial advantage by deception while managing NDIS provider People Come First.
The court hears Bembrick worked long hours and paid himself significantly less than entitled amid efforts to cover wages and expenses.
Judge Anthony Allen’s Remarks
Judge Anthony Allen sentences Bembrick to just under one year and eight months in prison but releases him immediately on a two-year good behaviour bond with a $500 recognisance.
“Your offending was borne out of desperation to simply keep the organisation afloat in very difficult financial times,” Judge Allen states, noting the actions were not for personal gain.
The judge highlights Bembrick’s otherwise blameless life: “This offending has completely destroyed your life. You are a person who has lived an otherwise blameless life, who now finds yourself in a homeless shelter and penniless, alone in a city away from your family. Effectively, you’ve lost everything.”
References speak highly of Bembrick, describing the offending as completely out of character. He has volunteered at the homeless shelter where he resides, earning praise from staff.
“Whilst general deterrence looms large in matters such as this, circumstances of your offending, in that you were attempting to keep your organisation afloat effectively for the benefit of others, and your personal circumstances, together with the adverse consequences of your actions, which you have already suffered,” Judge Allen explains the decision.
Contrast with Prior Case
The former Chief Executive Officer of People Come First, Paul Kevan Tilbury, received jail time in 2025 for defrauding the NDIS of more than $400,000 to fund a lifestyle he could not otherwise afford. Judge Allen notes significant differences from Bembrick’s case.
Bembrick offers no comment as he leaves the District Court building.
