Dance Monkey star Tones, myself and husband fined for dangerous and illegal renovation on Frankston investment property
- Me and Tones and her husband charged by the local council
- Charges related to work performed on a Frankston property
- Husband fined $5,000 and his company $20,000
- Tones and I, aka Toni Watson, did not appear in court
Australian singer Tones, her husband and I have been fined $25,000 after carrying out illegal renovation work on an investment property.
Toni Watson (better known as Tones and I) and Jimmy Bedford faced a series of offenses directed at them by a Melbourne council after ignoring orders to halt renovation work on their Frankston property.
The Dance Monkey star allowed her husband to take the fall on Monday, with Bedford presiding over Frankston Magistrates’ Court without his famous wife.
Toni Watson (better known as Me and Tones) and Jimmy Bedford were fined after admitting they had carried out construction work on their Frankston property without the correct permits (couple pictured together)
Bedford pleaded guilty to failing to obtain permits to demolish an internal wall and build a deck and porch, as well as failing to comply with building orders.
The property was purchased by Watson’s company, Johnny Run Away, named after the Tones and I debut single, leaving her open to a $225,000 fine.
But all charges against Watson relating to her personally were dropped.
In rendering his decision, Justice Charles Tan ordered Bedford personally fined $5,000 and the company $20,000.
The 31-year-old had been employed as a sound engineer by the same council that prosecuted him.
Bedford pleaded guilty to failing to obtain permits to demolish an internal wall and build a deck and porch, as well as failing to comply with building orders.
Frankston City Council Prosecutor Bruce Gardiner was scathing about Bedford’s disregard for the law, accusing the couple of putting a tenant at risk for up to 12 months.
The court heard that Bedford had operated his own bricklaying company for years and should have known better than to ignore obtaining the required permits for the renovation.
‘To suggest that the defendant had no knowledge of building permits and the like, he said during the interview that he owned a masonry business for 10 years and I submit that one cannot have a masonry business for 10 years and engage in construction. construction and don’t know the requirements for removing walls from the inside of houses,’ said Mr. Gardiner.
The prosecutor further claimed that the crimes were compounded by the fact that work continued on the property even after the council ordered it to stop.
“The defendants were found to have broken legislation and were ordered to stop working for security reasons and continued to work and put a tenant inside the house for a period of 12 months and that seriously aggravates the offence,” it said Gardiner. saying.
The council had asked for a “substantial fine”, particularly for Watson’s company.
Tones and I rose to stardom thanks to her record-breaking song, Dance Monkey, which catapulted her to stardom.
The couple failed to obtain permits to demolish an internal wall and build a terrace and porch, in addition to failing to comply with construction orders.
While the couple’s attorney, Sam Bird, argued the company was “not negotiating,” Gardiner said the council knew it had, in fact, purchased another property in the area valued at $1.35 million.
The court heard that Bedford claimed that he had been “too busy” to try to obtain the required permits.
Gardiner said Bedford told investigators that his wife owned the property and that she was the one who gave him permission to do the renovation work.
“He said: ‘Between us we renovated the house,'” he said.
Records show the property was purchased by the company for $720,000 in late 2020.
The site included a three-bedroom house and a one-bedroom bungalow.
Mr Bird told the court that the illegal works were ultimately found to be in compliance with council regulations, a claim refuted by the council.
“I object to that, your honor,” said Mr. Gardiner.
“Suggesting that the works had not been found structurally unsuitable goes against the surveyor’s report I read during the briefing and says that the existing internal load-bearing walls were removed and the existing deck frame and terrace appeared to be structurally unsuitable.” .
In passing the sentence, Tan said he took into account Bedford’s previous good character, lack of prior convictions and the requirement to work abroad without a conviction.
Tones and I rose to fame from humble beginnings, beginning his career busking while living out of a van.
Her debut single, Johnny Run Away, was a hit, and thanks to that hit, Dance Monkey broke records and catapulted her to stardom.
