Ballarat Law Court. PICTURE: THE COURIER
A MENTALLY-deluded couple who made up imaginary people as excuses for not paying for an extravagant Daylesford wedding were jailed for three months this afternoon.
Margaret and George Eakins, both from Montrose, appeared in Ballarat Magistrates Court today, charged with obtaining financial advantage by deception.
The pair pleaded guilty to hosting a lavish four-day, $52,000 wedding at the Daylesford Inn in 2011, where 40 guests were invited to book out the entire hotel.
They paid an initial $7000 deposit, but from that point onwards never had more than $668 in their account.
The court heard the newlyweds believed a man who handled all their finances would bail them out of the $45,000 debt, because he had the ability to write a $1 billion cheque.
Mrs Eakins also told psychiatrists she had inherited $5 million from her former late husband, although it was revealed he was in fact a truck driver with an alcohol and gambling problem, who had little money.
Mrs Eakins, 62, appeared in court in a wheelchair, claiming she had been diagnosed with spinal cancers two years ago.
However Magistrate Peter Couzens said in a doctor's report completed two years ago, Mrs Eakins made no mention of spinal cancer and that it had never been diagnosed in other medical appointments since.
"It is beyond belief she would not have seen a doctor in January, 2011 and not mentioned being in a wheelchair or mentioned cancer of the spine," Mr Couzens said.
An apparent document from the couple's apparent former lawyer was tendered to the court, which pleaded for the case to "stay out of the paper" so not to attract attention from debt collectors.
However Mr Couzen's angrily tore the letter in half and threw it on the ground, labelling it an "outrage" that the couple would try to fraud the bankruptcy system, as well as the hotel to which they owed $45,000.
The couple gave the hotel two cheque's that bounced in May and June last year, each valued at $45,000,
"You couldn't even afford to pay for the musicians ($2000), the bells were ringing," Mr Couzens said.
According to a doctor's report partially read out by Mr Couzens, the couple had no previous history of physical or mental illness.
"You exaggerated your achievements and talents. You think you should only associate with special and high-standing people. You show arrogant and haughty behaviour," Mr Couzens said.
"This is the sort of ceremony one would expect for a super millionaire pop star, not two people on the pension.
"Not only was this business denied $45,000, it lost out even further because it was not able to have other customers for four days."
The couple were both sentenced to six months' prison, three months to be served immediately and three to be suspended.
Mr Eakins, 68, wailed loudly in the court as the sentence was read out.
They plan to lodge an appeal against the sentence.