Margaret and George Eakins outside the Ballarat Law Courts this afternoon. PICTURE: ADAM TRAFFORD
THE couple who were yesterday jailed for not paying for their $45,000 wedding in Daylesford were granted bail this afternoon.
George and Margaret Eakins, who were both jailed for three months yesterday for obtaining financial advantage by deception, both walked free from custody on appeal bail.
They plan to lodge an appeal against their three-month jail term, which has a further three months suspended, in the County Court.
The Montrose couple, both aged in their 60s, tried to immediately appeal against their sentence yesterday, but Magistrate Peter Couzens was unwilling to let them free unless they could prove they had a place to live.
Defence lawyer Mike Wardell told the court he had ascertained the couple have a place to stay - a garage that has been converted into a granny flat.
"I spoke to a Mr Bill Brown, he seems to be a real person and he can confirm their address," Mr Wardell said.
Police did not oppose their bail.
Mr Couzens granted bail on condition the couple reside at the same house unless they notify police otherwise.
Mr Eakins wheeled his wife out the front of the court house in a wheelchair.
The couple yesterday pleaded guilty to not paying a $45,000 debt to the Daylesford Inn after hosting an extravagant four-day wedding in 2011.
Yesterday, the court heard the couple had made up imaginary people who they believed would be able to free them of the crippling debt.
They never had more than $668 in their account and tried to pay the debt to the Daylesford Inn with two separate $45,000 cheque's, each of which bounced.
The Eakins' will appear at the County Court at a date yet to be set.
