CANBERRA — An arrest warrant has been issued for Justin Dion Appleton, 38, after he again failed to appear in the ACT Supreme Court for sentencing over the theft of nearly $40,000 from Flight Centre.
Appleton pleaded guilty to charges of theft and burglary, stemming from incidents between late 2019 and early 2020 while working at the Canberra city branch of Flight Centre. Court documents reveal he stole cash paid by clients to support a gambling addiction, concealing the theft by reversing cash receipts and replacing them with false AMEX transactions.
After leaving the company, Appleton later used a remembered access code to re-enter the office during weekend COVID closures and steal more money.
His latest failure to attend sentencing has triggered action by Chief Justice Lucy McCallum, who issued a warrant for his extradition from South Australia. It was the third scheduled sentencing Appleton has skipped, despite repeated notices from the court, including a letter from the Chief Justice herself.
He has submitted several medical certificates, allegedly to avoid court, but police have raised concerns that some of the documents were forged. One doctor did confirm Appleton’s current medical certificate was genuine—citing a back injury from a fall—but admitted other documents tied to Appleton appeared altered or fake.
Chief Justice McCallum dismissed the excuse, stating even an injury shouldn’t prevent Appleton from being sentenced, pointing out she was appearing herself in a moon boot.
Appleton’s refusal to appear, even by video link, has now led the court to pursue his extradition, bringing this long-delayed sentencing closer to resolution.
