<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A disgraced former MP will serve at least two-and-a-half years in jail for stealing $435,000 of public money that was meant to be spent on disadvantaged school students.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In September 2024, a South Australian District Court jury found Troy Bell guilty of 20 counts of theft and five aggravated counts of dishonest dealings for crimes committed between 2009 and 2013.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Today Judge Rauf Soulio noted the 52-year-old had "lost much" as a result of his marathon legal fight against the charges, including his seat in parliament and all his assets.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/anthony-albanese-donald-trump-meeting-white-house-oval-office/86dff558-6189-4a00-9b65-d40d7f055505" target="_blank"><strong><span>'I don't like you': Trump blasts Rudd during Albo meeting</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ex-Liberal MP, who successfully ran as an independent after he was charged, stood emotionless in the dock as the judge imposed a five-year jail term with a two-and-a-half-year non-parole period.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Bell earlier said he was "very nervous" as he walked into court.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A combination of authority and trust had allowed the state MP to engage in the "serious and significant offending" for an extended period, Judge Soulio said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/troy-bell-court-updates-jailed-mp-loses-seat-assets-and-freedom-over-thefts/0402d325-7caf-448d-8008-da79a9aef832" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/amazon-web-services-aws-major-internet-outages-fortnite-snapchat-roblox-canva/fec1083a-3def-47f3-ae8f-79948caebbf2" target="_blank"><strong><span>World's biggest apps and websites hit by global outage</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Bell stepped down as the member for Mt Gambier in September after the Court of Criminal Appeal earlier dismissed his appeal.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Judge Soulio said there was no evidence of motives for his offending.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Despite the dismissal of your appeal, there's been no submission that you have accepted responsibility, nor sought to explain your offending, despite the overwhelming evidence against you," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some media reporting of the trial had suggested that Bell's offending had "deprived disadvantaged students of programs designed to assist them, or had impacted the delivery of programs or the scope of such programs", the judge said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I accept that that was not so," he added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The programs had been successful and achieved positive outcomes for the students, but the misappropriated funds were public money that could have been spent in other areas, he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Bell had been an "effective and hard-working" MP who had also contributed to the community through his work as a teacher and by establishing and co-ordinating the same schemes under which he offended, Judge Soulio said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He had since experienced suicidal ideation and panic attacks, as well as a legal process that ultimately cost him all his assets, the court was told.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Bell was elected to the SA parliament in 2014 and resigned from the Liberal Party after he was charged in 2017.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"You stood as an independent candidate at the 2018 election, as you put it, expecting to lose," Judge Soulio said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This (was) perhaps an indication of the regard in which you were held by your constituents, that despite facing widely publicised dishonesty charges, you were re-elected in 2018 and again in 2022."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/aws-outage-which-apps-and-websites-are-down-amazon-web-services-outage/0dc38ec2-467f-49a8-b1c1-a95ac128a44a" target="_blank"><strong><span>Which apps and websites were affected by the Amazon Web Services outage?</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The maximum penalty for a theft charge is 10 years' jail, while an aggravated offence of dishonest dealings with documents carries a maximum sentence of 15 years.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Bell is yet to face a further 52 deception charges over the alleged misuse of a parliamentary accommodation allowance.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A suppression order on those charges was lifted in September.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He is accused of collecting more than $50,000 between 2015 and 2020 by deceiving parliamentary staff "by falsely claiming he was entitled to be paid".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There will not be a by-election for the seat of Mt Gambier because SA's next state election falls in March.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Bell will be eligible for parole in April 2028.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Support is available by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636.</span></strong></div></div>