A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Melbourne comedian Greg Fleet, after he failed to show up for a scheduled date at Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday, on charges related to stealing.
Fleet took to Facebook yesterday to reassure his fans that the missed court appointment was “a simple screw up of dates”, claiming that he had been “in touch with the court and police” to sort out the misunderstanding.
In the past, the comedian has spoken openly about his struggles with drug addiction, and the current charges stem from an incident in October last year, when he was living with Fairfax journalist Wendy Squires.
The court heard that Fleet stole jewellery valued at $2800 from Squires, and sold it for $200 to buy heroin. In an ironic twist, Fleet was profiled by the journalist months before, and told her that he had never had to resort to crime to feed his addictions.
Squires later wrote about the incident, saying:
“A friend had announced that he’d finally kicked a drug habit, and so I let him stay while he was struggling to get his life together and find a permanent place to live. He lied. He hadn’t stopped using drugs and ended up stealing my late mother’s jewellery and shooting its proceeds up his arm. The betrayal devastated me. I blamed myself for being so naive and trusting. I wondered how I could have been be so stupid, why I had given him the benefit of the doubt.”
It’s understood that Fleet’s legal team were planning to apply for a diversion order from the magistrate, allowing him to avoid a criminal record.
Fleet, whose resume includes appearances on shows ranging from Neighbours and Underbelly to Spicks And Specks, says that he is currently in Adelaide on a TV acting job.
via The Age
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