Already a subscriber?The modest tin shed outside the small township of Nanango in rural Queensland is a world away from the comfortable lifestyle interior designer Suzie Beirne once enjoyed in her large family home overlooking Noosa’s main beach.
When she sold an investment property in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast for around $600,000, she poured in what was left over after paying out the mortgage. The local acquaintance appears to have kept his name clean despite the part he played in the Ponzi scheme. “He was just outside of it all, ushering us all through the door to Kingdom Come,” she says.
Watkins remains on medication for sleeplessness and anxiety and continues with regular visits to his psychologist to help overcome the trauma of the event. Retelling the story opens a pandora’s box of emotions for him. “Most people I speak to are in disbelief, feel worthless and can be deeply self-critical, which has social implications moving forward,” she says. “Hyper-vigilance and dropping out of friendship groups is also common.”