"We believe the support offered [to Mr Bennett] including with accommodation, the continuing support available to Mr Bennett and, indeed, a large amount of other support, is sufficient to mitigate risk to a point where it is no longer undue," a Parole Board decision says.
A psychological report in July last year assessed Bennett as being at a low risk of reoffending but noted he had a "capacity to mask his offending" from family and friends. There were also reports of a high level of entitlement and a lack of problem-solving skills.
However, a safety plan was designed to reduce his risks and he was released in December with standard conditions, plus five special conditions, which included a ban on him working in a role that involved responsibility for handling or managing money.
Bennett created false documents relating to the lease of IT equipment to fraudulently obtain $65.5 million from SCF and falsified entries in DataSouth Finance financial statements by an estimated $38 million to retain the ongoing finance facility. The resulting loss to SCF was at least $23 million.
Bennett used the dishonestly obtained funds to repay earlier false lease agreements in a manner similar to a Ponzi scheme and to meet business expenses. He also used the money to fund his high-rolling lifestyle.
Bennett, who moved to Sydney in 2006 or 2007, shortly after breaking up with his wife of 20 or so years, Jane, partied in luxury Sydney waterfront apartments, surrounded himself with models and actresses, was chauffeured in BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars and "drank Dom Perignon like it was Speights".
The SFO revealed "significant areas of personal expenditure", which included the rental of two "luxury" residential apartments in The Rocks area of Sydney for A$463,000 ($513,000) and regular payments to "various female companions" totalling A$900,000.
A staggering A$429,000 was spent on food and beverages, of which "a significant amount" was spent at the ritzy Hemmesphere bar and restaurant, where the cheapest bottle of Dom Perignon goes for around $480 and he was given VIP treatment.
A further A$161,000 was spent on flights to Argentina, New York, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, New Caledonia, Rio de Janeiro, San Francisco, Paris and London. Jewellery and flowers, including purchases at Tiffany & Co, amounted to A$16,000, and he spent a further A$163,000 on clothes and accessories from Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Barney's and Bloomingdale's in New York, Victoria's Secret, Paul Smith, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, and Harrods of London.
One former executive of DataSouth Business Solutions Ltd, a subsidiary of Bennett's main company, which he set up in the mid-1990s, told how Bennett was ferried around in chauffeur-driven BMW and Mercedes services - at a cost of more than A$50,000.
The ex-worker told of "lavish" office parties and being whisked across the Tasman to hit Sydney's exclusive hot-spots where Bennett "drank Dom Perignon like it was Speights".
The other "running joke" with Bennett's employees was his lust for beautiful women. He was often spotted in trendy Sydney bars with models and actresses.
One of the models he was linked to was Mariesa Crowder, who met him when he went for a drink at a venue she worked in. Last year, she said he was going to help her start her own firm but they closed it down soon after and she never saw him again. He also spent time with Marlena Davis, a co-director of DataSouth's Australian arm.
DataSouth went into liquidation in 2011, leaving all 31 staff out of jobs.
- NZME
