The offence of defrauding the Commonwealth under s 29D of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) does not require proof of actual economic loss; it suffices to prove that the deceit imperilled the Commonwealth's economic interests. However, where the Crown's case relies on multiple separate false representations made over an extended period, each representation constitutes a separate act of defrauding and must be charged in a separate count; rolling up multiple representations into a single count renders the indictment duplicitous. Evidence of uncharged misconduct not covered by the particulars (such as undisclosed income from other sources) is inadmissible as irrelevant and prejudicial character evidence.
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