Gavin Pollock CEO of Shire of Ravensthorpe Western Australia spent $50,000 council cash on sex work

A ‘stressed’ married council boss has been jailed for two years after spending almost $55,000 of ratepayers cash on sex services.

Gavin Pollock, 44, former chief executive officer of the Shire of Ravensthorpe in Western Australia, ran the scam with a sex worker from March 8, 2020 to April 16, 2021.

He created purchase orders on multiple occasions which came to a total of $54,850, funded by the local government’s budget, and sent to the sex worker’s bank account.

The purchase orders were for a range of fake administrative services and varied from a few thousand dollars to more than $10,000. 

The sex worker – who Pollock knew before he started as CEO – invoiced the council to be paid, but the business address was later discovered to be for a brothel. 

Pollock was fired from his role near the end of last year following the launch of an investigation by the Corruption and Crime Commission, WA today reported.

Defence lawyer Kylie Ferridge told the court his client blamed work stress for the fraud.

He said Pollock’s issues stemmed from his childhood when he had learned to keep his problems to himself and not bother others with them.

Mr Ferridge added: ‘He was spending an exorbitant amount of hours a day working.

‘He would keep a tally [of work] that didn’t necessarily fall under his purview as CEO and they would formulate the hours spent on the invoice.

‘Nineteen to 20 hours a day was what was expected of him. It’s not hard to see how someone’s mental health is so impacted.’

Pollock’s defence lawyer Kylie Ferridge told the court that his client’s reasoning for such actions were due to work stress and behaviours established from a young age, which included keeping your problems to yourself

Pollock had bought a house with his wife in Perth and had intentions to leave the shire prior to the end of last year.

Judge Christopher Stevenson said he believed Pollock regretted his actions and noted he had paid the money back

But he added: ‘Corruption is a crime that constitutes serious offending.

‘It is a fundamental hallmark of our democracy that those in public positions are expected to and will discharge their duties honestly, diligently and to the best of their ability.

‘The offences singularly and in their entirety represent a gross breach of trust.’

Pollock will serve at least one year in jail before he becomes eligible for parole.