The salacious details of unsolicited late night phone calls in which a former radio jock turned con-artist allegedly told his one-time personal trainer he “wants (his) d***”, have been revealed in court.
Some might know Dene Broadbelt, 25, as real estate tycoon Harrison Eyles. To others he’s Infinity Music Festival director Dene Mussillon, anti-bullying advocate Harrison O’Connor, music promoter Nic Lloyd or Clay O’Connor. But to NSW Police and local courts, he’s now Luke Hemmings.
Mr Broadbelt has used several aliases and impersonated various characters for a string of failed business ventures and unpaid debts across Australia but has never been charged or convicted in relation to the matters.
News.com.au can exclusively reveal that the founder of the now defunct internet station Ridge Radio — who was once accused of faking his own death — last week pleaded guilty to the charge of using a carriage service to menace, harass and offend before it was dismissed on mental health grounds at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court.
In a statement of police facts viewed by news.com.au, Mr Hemmings was alleged to have harassed Dale Berry, the owner of Peak Fitness gym in Woollamia on the NSW South Coast, in a series of unsolicited phone calls in July this year.
Mr Berry told police he was in bed asleep next to his wife and two-year-old daughter when Mr Hemmings made several calls to his mobile phone from 1.41am on July 12.
“I want your d***. How big is it?” Mr Hemmings allegedly said during one of the calls around 1.44am before the victim hung up on him.
Court documents allege that Mr Hemmings made further calls to Mr Berry two days later, around 9.40pm.
The victim replied: “Good one, mate. You f***ing idiot. Now that you’ve made contact, I’ve seen the police and they can trace your number.”
Mr Berry’s wife Shelby recorded the last phone call, according to the police statement of facts. Both the victim and witness have been “unsettled by the phone calls”.
Mr Hemmings had attended a personal fitness session with Mr Berry about two years earlier but they didn’t know each other on a personal level, the statement read.
Mr Hemmings, who lives with his mother in Surf Beach, NSW, was last week discharged by the magistrate on the condition he sees an allocated mental health care professional for two years and “takes all medications, strictly as prescribed”.
In 2015, Mr Hemmings admitted to “ripping off creditors in hundreds of thousands of unpaid fees and failed ventures”.
His past dealings have included promoting and selling tickets to bogus music festivals; hiring camera equipment, hotel rooms, limousines and services of small businesses on false work accounts; and luring teens out of school and work with the promise of a dream career before leaving them high and dry.
He has operated under various company names including Sly Creators, One 11 Agency, Aquaholic Photography, Colemans Studios, and VA Entertainment Australia and set up websites with fake staff profiles. He’s tricked high school students, ambitious university graduates, a police officer, small business owners, aspiring musicians and professionals out of time and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
He promised to pay them back as long as they allowed him to film their reactions during the handover. Some humoured him and said they’d welcomed the exchange if it meant they’d get their money back. He has not yet delivered.
Dream Media Darwin owner Chris O’Brien said Mr Hemmings still owed him about $20,000 after failing to pay for camera equipment hire in 2014.
“We sent him to Alice Springs for a job he said he was doing for Channel 9 (but it turned out to be a scam),” he said. Mr Hemmings had purported to be part of a film crew covering a story for the network about a charity cancer walk in the Outback.
Mr Hemmings went on to promote The Infinity Music Festival — in Darwin and several NSW and Queensland country towns — as a major electro-music event to be headlined by big name performers. It turned out be a sham and never went ahead.
Publicist Jarrod Meakins said he was hired by Mr Hemmings to promote the festival but quit when he wasn’t paid for his work.
“Some of the artists being advertised didn’t even know they were booked to play, because they weren’t. The last thing I did was help announce Darwin, and after that I pulled out when I found out what he was up to,” he said.
“In hindsight … It was never going to go ahead.” He was right.
Among the youngest of Mr Hemmings’ victims was a teen who claimed he was tricked into dropping out of school with the promise of a dream career. He reportedly promised to pay him $25 per hour as an assistant for Aquaholic Photography before loading him up with professional camera equipment then luring him to the other side of the country and leaving him to find his own way home.
VA Digital Hire later alleged Mr Hemmings obtained the equipment using business accounts that were not settled, leaving unpaid bills estimated at $20,000.
Ulladulla Web Design owner Scott Richardson previously told news.com.au he was contracted by Mr Hemmings to create posters and online flyers for the Infinity Music Festival. He said Mr Hemmings never paid him the $2000 for his work.
Eagle Embroidery business owner Roy Day, based in Bega NSW, said Mr Hemmings made two separate orders to embroider “photographer” and “crew” on to work uniforms and post them to a Batemans Bay address in 2013. Mr Day did the work but was never paid the $2000 for his services.
Mr Hemmings was also at the centre of a dispute between unpaid performers at the Eagle FM Mini Day Event and Goulburn Radio, NSW, that same year.
HEMMINGS: ‘I DIDN’T FAKE MY OWN DEATH’
As pressure mounted on Mr Hemmings to pay back the money he owed, a press release was sent to national media informing them of his death, in 2015.
“I have to inform everyone of the sad news that Dene Broadbelt, died unexpectedly on Saturday night when he took his own life,” the email read. “There is to be a memorial service held ASAP (date and time will be announced as soon as possible). We would ask that Dene’s final wishes are observed, and there are to be no flowers, donations to World Vision would be welcomed instead.”
Mr Hemmings — who then called himself Dene Broadbelt — wasn’t dead. He denied he was behind the email.
Mr Hemmings later issued a press release where he claimed to be a changed man who had become an anti-bullying advocate. He said he had been approved by the NSW Department of Education to spread awareness about mental health in public schools.
A spokesman for the NSW Department of Education told news.com.au the claims it had approved Mr Hemmings were false and that it was the role of individual principals to approve or manage guest speakers in schools.
Mr Hemmings has previously claimed he was an official ambassador for Beyond Blue and Lifeline. Both organisations said the claims were untrue.
In another press release Mr Hemmings claimed he was writing an autobiography titled Too Good To Be True for a 2016 release. The title said it all, with a book about Mr Hemming’s life yet to hit the shelves.
Instead, he turned his sights to a young entertainer from a reality TV show.
Singer-songwriter Ben Denman was reeling when he discovered his talent manager of six months, who he knew as Luke Hemmings, was actually Mr Broadbelt.
Mr Denman, whose stage name is Ben Oddie, said he was first contacted by Mr Hemmings after he appeared as a contestant on X Factor Australia earlier that year.
Mr Hemmings introduced himself over social media as a businessman from ‘Sly Creators’. He told Mr Denman he was impressed by his talent and could help make him a star.
Mr Hemmings claimed he worked with Blink 182 and 5 Seconds of Summer — whose lead singer is also named Luke Hemmings. He said he knew international producers in Los Angeles who had worked with Afrojack, Iggy Azalea, Leona Lewis and Kelly Rowland, who had heard Mr Denman’s music and wanted to work with him. He sent Mr Denman stock pictures of a luxury office he claimed was in the same building as Sony in Los Angeles.
He told Mr Denman he had leased the property as his LA headquarters and had lined up work and meetings for them to make the overseas move in 2017.
It was all a sham. In reality, Mr Hemmings was unemployed and, according to him, bankrupt. But it would take six months of being managed by Mr Hemmings until Mr Denman became privy to it.
“I couldn’t believe it but lots of the other contestants on the show were getting signed by independent labels so I just thought that’s what was happening to me as well,” Mr Denman told news.com.au at the time.
“I made a video for Facebook to announce my dreams were coming true and I was moving to LA and everything.”
It all unravelled when Mr Denman became suspicious of Mr Hemmings and questioned him about his real identity. He said Mr Hemmings immediately stopped responding to his emails.
Mr Hemmings’ website soon disappeared and his business phone number was disconnected.
It’s a pattern he has repeated.
That same year, Mr Hemmings, operating under the alias of Harrison Eyles, the managing director of a business called Coast and Country Real Estate, attempted to lease a shopfront, order cars, and even held face-to-face interviews with people who replied to his job adverts.
Burswood Car Rentals owner Morrison Todd said Mr Hemmings owes him about $4000 for damaging a hired vehicle and unpaid bills.
“We had a credit card (when Mr Hemmings made the booking) but it stopped working after about one week,” he said.
Skip Film Productions NSW owner Noel Sadler — who is one of the con-artist’s victims — said Mr Hemmings “never follows through on anything he promises”.
“He doesn’t see the consequences of his actions … it’s all about him and the right now,” he said.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
While several people have reported their cases to police there is no active investigation into Mr Hemming’s dealings, according to NT Police. NSW Police didn’t respond to questions
NSW Police previously told news.com.au its “fraud squad (is) unaware of any incidents that are currently under investigation with this man”. Those who reported the incidents to police said they were told it was a civil case and they would have to go to court to get their money back.
The NSW Fair Trading complaints register only provides information about businesses that are the subject of 10 or more complaints in one calendar month.
“NSW Fair Trading has no current actions or prosecutions against Broadbelt,” a spokesman for NSW Fair Trading previously told news.com.au.
“Fair Trading’s advice to consumers who are dissatisfied in their dealings with this trader is to contact the trader and try to resolve the matter in the first instance.
“Customers who are unable to resolve their issues with the trader are advised to lodge a written complaint with NSW Fair Trading at www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au.
“Fair Trading will assess the complaint to determine next steps.”
NSW Fair Trading is “unable to intervene” if the dispute is between two businesses.
“Businesses seeking to recover debts may seek their own independent legal advice,” the spokesman said.
“In the event a debt is owed for services provided to a business, the creditor is advised to contact the NSW Small Business Commissioner on 1300 795 534 or 02 8222 4800, or online.”
If you or anyone you know needs help contact Lifeline on 13 11 14
megan.palin@news.com.au | @Megan_Palin
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