An alleged bank fraudster’s ex-husband testified to a jury that he attacked her and his best friend after witnessing them sharing a passionate kiss.
Geoffrey Rosamond, a witness for the Crown, claimed that he signed over his companies to his then-wife after being advised that he needed to preserve the brand because he was facing legal action.
The allegations that Helen Mary Rosamond, 47, was the architect of a multi-million dollar fraud against NAB between 2013 and 2017 have been refuted by her plea of not guilty to many counts of fraud and bribery.
The former CEO of the events and human resources company Human Group is accused of taking part in bogus invoices that were made to appear as though they had been paid for by the NAB.
The funds were allegedly utilised for opulent vacations, extravagant gifts, and other purchases in addition to bribes to a bank employee who is alleged to have been complicit in the scam.
According to Mr. Rosamond, who testified before the NSW District Court jury, he quit Human Group in 2012 after being warned he was a “loose cannon” and that his wife handled the bills and day-to-day decisions.
He said she paid for his mother’s car, booked a family vacation abroad, received invoices for significant landscaping at their property and work on her yacht, and made loans to his sister and her partner.
Before their vacation in January 2015, Mr. Rosamond claimed he assaulted his best buddy Jeremy Best after spotting him in a lewd act with his wife in the street at 3 in the morning.
Later, he expressed regret and remorse to Mr. Best and apologised, realising that he had overreacted.
The couple’s relationship crumbled after his wife informed him that she had closed one of the businesses just as he was trying to raise money for one endeavour in April 2015, shortly before the family went for their international trip.
He appointed his wife as director after resigning from all of the board positions.
He remained in Toronto, and his wife informed him that Mr. Rosamond would be detained and Mr. Best had contacted the police.
“This is ridiculous, what’s going on?” I retorted. I assumed that we had moved past it.
Although he only received $130,000, he claimed to have no sources of funding and agreed to turn over ownership of all the firms for $250,000.
He was informed that the corporations needed money as well as to ‘guard the brand and reputation’ from any media coverage of the assault.
He claimed that after handing over the firms, NSW police informed him that he was now also being accused of assaulting his wife.
He was detained in September 2015 when he arrived back in Sydney, and he eventually admitted to attacking his wife and causing grievous bodily harm to Mr. Best while acting recklessly.
He acknowledged breaking Mr. Best’s eye socket on Friday while being questioned by Dr. Anton Hughes, the attorney for his ex-wife.
The only adjustments made to the agreed-upon statement of facts, according to him, were that the kiss had gotten “intimate” and that Mr. Rosamond had been wearing his pyjama shorts and being barefoot at the time.
He asserted that it was not his wife’s idea, but rather his own, to buy a car for his mother.
He responded, “How would that be so when I am in the UK for the burial of my best friend?”
On Monday, his cross-examination will go on.