Craig Thomson is back in the Federal Court in Melbourne today at around 11.30AM for his sentencing hearing before Justice Jessup.

The Herald Sun was in court yesterday to hear this:

Former federal MP Craig Thomson cannot afford to pay fine 

CRAIG Thomson says the Health Services Union could have saved time and money when investigating allegations he misused funds if it had just asked for his side of the story.

Of the 1000 hours HSU staff and officials dedicated to the matter, the former national secretary said not one was devoted to listening to his side of the story. “I could have responded to this if I had been asked,” Thomson said.

The comments were made in an affidavit sworn by the former federal MP and read in the Federal Court yesterday by his lawyer Chris McArdle, ahead of a costs and penalties hearing. In September, the court found Thomson used more than $300,000 of HSU members’ funds to pay for prostitutes and his campaign to be elected to the federal seat of Dobell, in breach of the Fair Work Act. He maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.

Justice Christopher Jessup yesterday said he would allow only a few sentences of Thomson’s affidavit to form part of his submission to the court, including Thomson’s statement that he cannot afford to pay a fine. “I do not have the money,” Thomson said. The hearing continues.

ENDS

Poor old Craig must have a touch of the CRAFTs.   Craig you did get to tell your side of the story.  The whole country watched open-mouthed at this tell-all expose.

That was not all that long after this magnificent effort.