Mates, money, and mistrust: Mitchell Coombs vs Mitch Churi

You are now entering the court of Judge Gina Leano.

It's been said that friendship and money are like oil and water.

They never mix.

When you have a dispute that needs settling once and for all, you come to my courtroom. I am Judge Gina, and my decision is final.

Today Mitch Combs has brought Mitch Chury to Judge Gina over a money misunderstanding. He is seeking eight hundred dollars in financial compensation for podcast equipment he believes he should not have had to pay for.

My name's Mitchell Coombs. I'm a stand up comedian, a social media creator and I co host.

The podcast Is It Just Me.

I've come on Judge Gina today because I feel that my former friends and current co host Mitch Churry had ripped me off. A near and dear friend, He's ripped me off.

My name is Mitch Churi. I'm the host of the Night Show on Kiss FM, the national evening show on Kiss. I also host the three pm pick Up Around Australia on the Kiss network. Oh Shit. I'm also the host of the iHeartRadio exclusive podcast Is It Just Me? With Mitchell Kerbs, my co host. I've come to defend myself and my family's honor. I believe I've been defamed. I've been dragged here today over what I thought was a simple transaction with a good friend that has turned very sour.

I've known the other Mitch since twenty seventeen. I met him when I started working at the same radio station he was already working at.

Mitch and I have been friends for goodness me five six, last seven years now, a long time, and I consider him one of my best friends. But maybe not for much longer.

There's been a lot of tension behind the scenes of our podcast, but we're finally ready to put this to bed.

Okay, So we've got the two Mitches here, Mitch Kumbs and Mitch Churi. So I'm going to start with Mitch Kombs because it's your application today.

You want interesting, you want an amount? Excuse me?

No, no, I'm apologies. No, I just more meant that it was it's interesting that you apologies, Janet, No, I'm sorry. Okay, what's not interesting?

No, it is interesting.

You are interesting.

Okay, I'll ignite you to speak. You can stop there, thank you.

No, sorry, I didn't be you.

I'm going to refer to you both by your surname. So I'm going to ask Coombs if you can just tell me a bit about your relationship. So are you friends? Do you work together? How long have you known each other?

Well?

Both, we've known each other for quite a few years now, I think it was twenty seventeen. We started working together. We were colleagues and then became very close friends. And then, like all friends, we thought, God, our conversations deserve to be recorded and broadcast. So we started the podcast as a couple of mitches and it's been a good few years now, running strong and very minimal fights in that time.

So your podcast is about wash.

Well, it's called Is It Just Me? That's the name of the podcast.

Okay, I wanted the name to be Mitch please, like bitch please, but Mitch please, but Mitch wanted is It Just Me?

And so it's every week we get together and debrief something we've noticed, hate or appreciate.

It's a bit of improv bit of fun.

All right.

So I'm going to come to you, mister Tury fantastic, tell me about because I can see the burning desire to say something.

No, no, I just know it's just because I've seen the GW.

Stop mister Cury, okay, so I no stop. I'm just going to ask you some questions and if you can just answer, okay, don't one word, answer, just concisely as you can, that would be got.

Okay.

So you've known mister Coombe since about twenty seventeen.

You've heard what he said. Do you agree with all that?

Yes?

Correct.

We met on his birthday actually, and I had already worked at the radio station since twenty fifteen, so I extended the olive branch. I think I probably wanted to maybe get with him at the start, maybe take him on a dinner or something, but he quite quickly you've seen his personality. It didn't work. We didn't click in that respect, so it was strictly platonic straight away. But we met on his birthday. Then the podcast was born, you know, two years later.

Fantastic all right, So you actually there was an attraction there, but it didn't.

Get Yes, I found Mitchell Kuhmb circa twenty seventeen attractive, and I'm not afraid to say it.

There you go, there's a compliment for you. So I've got an application here from mister Coombs he wants an amount that he paid you for a road cast paid back to him. So I'm just going to ask you some questions about this road cast. So, yes, you were given a road caster for free during lockdown?

Is that right?

Yeah? Correct?

So tell me that story. Yeah, yes, So I host.

I still host the same show, the night show, and that show during COVID had to go from home, so I had to record the show from my broom. Closs and the good people at road It's an Australian brand. They sent me a road caster, which is like a little mini radio. Yeah, here it is. It's right in with this.

What is it? What is it an?

It's a mini broadcast console, Gina. So if you've been in a radio studio you'll know, or a podcast studio. There's a desk. It's probably the size of like a large Domino's pizza just going off, you know what I know. And you can control the microphone levels, you can put calls through it, sound effect, you can make wacky sounds. You have a lot of fun with it. Gena action now that I'm thinking of you playing with it, but I enjoyed it. So I play with this roadcast. I

No, No, I'm going to stop you because I'm going to ask you some questions.

Oh you did say that?

Sorry, say that, okay.

So in early twenty twenty two, you put it on gum tree for sale? How much was it for sale? How much we're selling it for one thousand dollars and you got it for free, but that's you. It was yours to keep it. It was given to me, yes, givens okay, and they didn't expect that. Rhades didn't expect you to return that to them at any stage.

No, it was not on loan.

It was gifted, okay, and then you purchased something else to do.

I was gifted the new model by road they're good friends, and they sent me the road Caster too. It had been obviously two years. They had new technology, and they.

Read cast Pro doesn't even know what it's called road.

Caster Pro too, and they said, you love the first one. Your show has been so successful. We've seen the press, the billboards. We will give you the new model. And I said fantastic. So that's why I put it up. I didn't need it's been two years. And it had been two years and I thought, let's let's just get some some pocket money for it.

Okay, so you'd already put it up for sale, but you said that that mister Combs could buy it for a cheaper price.

Is that right?

Well, what happened was we were my home studio which had the new road caster, and I was showing it off. I was saying, look at this beautiful new item of kit that I've been gifted graciously by road in Australian business. And then Mitchell goes, oh, you had an old one, and I said, yeah, I've got an old one. I'm actually selling it. He and I I'd love to get one. I'm in the market for a road caster myself. And

He didn't talk price.

Well, I believe price was mentioned. It's very rude to sort of throw around price straight away. I think I said something along the lines of we'll chat details. I'll text you about detail. We'll talk the road caster detail. We're very close, you see, so we'll talk cash. I think I could have said later.

I'm going to go to mister Coombs now, I think, do you say happened?

I don't even know where to start when it comes to unpacking the FIBs.

I've been nowhere.

Okay, So firstly, it all came about via a phone call. We were on the phone for some reason and you just mentioned, oh my god, I just got sent the new road cast of the road Caster pro to the upgrade, and he was gloating about that it was a freebein.

I was like, oh wait, so can I have your old one? And he's like yeah, yeah.

And did he did you know that it was for saving?

There was no mention of that until after it was in my possession.

Did you know that he had it advertised and that he'd had on the market for a week, and that.

In fact that I would challenge him to present screenshots of the ad because I'm not sure that they it ever went on Marketplace or gum Tree, whatever it was.

Did you know that he'd been asking for one thousand dollars?

I had no idea.

No, there was no When did you find that out? When did you find out.

After the fact after I already had it?

When is how long?

When when he got it to me? That was a week or so after this phone call? So one week later he delivered it probably, and it was we were at my I have for delivery. We were recording an interview.

Did he say anything when he delivered it.

No.

He brought it in a box and said here, because we're doing a recording.

I want to know the words he used when he gave you the box.

Well, the words were essentially, here you go.

I'll just leave this at your house when we're done with it, because I've got one back at home, right.

And did that later conversation happen?

I bump him maybe a week later because I hadn't received cash, So I just said, you.

Have received cash. You haven't told him what the cash's later? Later? This is a week later.

Now if more, it was expecting him, as a good close friend of mine and someone that I could have potentially once slept with, to have offered out and gone Hi, Mitchell, thanks for the road caster. What are you for that old friend? When in fact radio silence. So then I said, look, I'd like eight hundred dollars for it. I'm selling it for a thousand. You've got my account details because we've

I'll caution you, as a judge would that anything you say may be used against you, and so I will caution you.

That you need to say nothing further.

Thank you terms of that, and I won't be asking you any and if you are asked any questions, you're not compelled to answer them.

Oh I would have liked to have known that. Show you there, Thank you judge.

All right, So you want a d eight hundred dollars for the for the road casting pastor that's heavily discounted.

Is it two hundred dollars? Okay?

But you didn't ask him for money, so you gave it to him. He took possession of it and there was no discussion of money.

Well, how dare he assume that it was a free gift. I mean, I don't want to get routy here, but the men he assumed it was free.

Well you didn't tell him otherwise.

I can't recall what the wording was, but I'm a very it's not your time. I can't was it's not your time because I said it's for sale. I said, yes, it's for sale. If you would like to purchase it, is what I said, Then we can organize a deal. Judge in it. Can I make one other edition? If I could, you'd assume, being a good friend, Mitch would just transfer me the money. Of course I have for

Not everybody is wanting to evade tax, you see.

That's the issue here, I think.

I mean, I would suggest that if mister Coombs is in the business of podcast and radio, that something is that he purchases could be a tax deduction. Correct, So I would suggest that's a very fair and valid request to have a tax invoice. But My question is the tax invoice was for eight hundred dollars and did you pay it?

And when I did pay.

It, which I was, I did ask him to do the invoice. I was kind of relying on his lazy and it's thinking you'd never get around to it.

But much to my suppose buying time, I was, you know, I.

Had to watch a YouTube tutorial and what nobody made the invoice? Zero zero zero two? Like I just make it up as I go to be honest.

Right, Okay, well, I'm sure you're not selling many of these things and they it's probably a one one invoice in your whole lifetime.

Correct, Yes, yes, you're.

Right right, So you've got your eight hundred dollars you paid that? When did you pay that, mister Koombs. I can't remember exactly when that one was later a month later, two days, it was late. I reckon it would have been about a month later, because you got me the invoice eventually, and I.

Remember not putting food on the table for my family that so it would be late.

Yeah, you couldn't put food on the table for your family, so you just you were.

I'm believing, Yeah, I was. I needed that money.

Thant even a due date on the invoice.

Okay?

And then so when was the first mentioned to you of money that.

Came after the fact I got a text that said, oh, can you just.

I want to know when? When? When did you get a text?

His sweating, judge, sweating on the brow?

I really sweating, judge, he's lying as usual.

Now that's an aspersion.

Why are you allowed to speak when I'm talking? I had to shut my mouth.

Okay, I'm going to stop you both there, So go on. I want to know about when you first got the mention of a text and money.

It was very soon after he left. It might have been that afternoon or the next day. I hadn't even unpacked the thing. I left it in the box out of spy, so that day possibly, okay?

And how much was he? What does the message say?

He usually could get that message up if you just search, If you just searched road Caster in your phone, it did quite simply appear.

I'd have to scroll back the while, but yeah, I'd be prepared to do that if we had all day.

I don't believe we do, but we'll come back to it, you know, I mean, you knew you were here. Running a case, so you have to be prepared, so Jina, Judge, I agree, Jo's I'm not asking for your feedback, of course, thank you. So text that day and do you recall before you refer to your notes? Can you exhaust your memory please and tell me what you think that message says?

It was very casual.

No, no, I want to know what it says. Yeah, me too, say it was very casual.

No, no, no, He said, do you want to just transfer me eight hundred? Do you want to just transfer me eight hundred? Yeah, it was a question, and did you say no?

I probably barked back with are you right? What do you mean to know?

Probably? What do you think you said?

I would have said something Judge to the effect of, you didn't pay for it, so why are you pocketing from this?

Because it's his possession?

Thank you?

This is true. You're right.

So if you inherit a house from a deceased grandparent, does that mean you give it away for free?

No?

Of course not so. Once you've got physical possession of something, it's your will do whatever.

You donate it to a charity or something. If I didn't need the helld.

You can't even spell charity?

I would suggest that if you own something, it's your possession and you can do whatever you like with it. Gift it, sell it, use it, keep it, put it away, throw it out, whatever you like to do. It doesn't matter. So I think the confusion here more so is the fact that you weren't to where it was for sale.

Yes, I'll quote The Castle a court based movie.

It's just the vibe, you know, just the vibe the law of bloody common sense.

Right right, Well, that doesn't hold up in a court of war, you know. I just I just killed people because it was the vibe.

He's speaking over dutchdowns speaking over.

Yet the mars.

Getting very messy here, So I'm going to pull you both back. So I just want to know what do you want me to do today? I'll start with mister Coombs, what do you want me to do today? Why have you brought this to me today?

Well, the emotional just.

Stress that I've endured as a result of this and also, I am a freelancer. I don't have a steady wage like you, so I'm very out of pocket.

I'd like it to be reimbursed.

Because it's not lost to be reimbursed the eight hundred dollars. It's the eight hundred because he's not actually out of pocket by then, because he didn't pay for the equipment in the first place.

I've just gone back because there's quite a few sales, all very well priced, and I'm going through my five star reviews. Nice man love his radio show. I think it's one awards. That's just the feedback on my profile. Here we go road caster pro for sale, Redfern, New South Wales, nine nine nine right right, shipping offered so I was willing to shore. Sorry, Mitchell, I can show you.

Well that was free shipping. You've shipped it to Mitchell.

Correct, very good point.

That was free shipping.

It said, sorry, you're charging them way less than me. No, I wasn't charging them less than you. No, it's nine nine nine and I charged you eight. And it was being deleted. Judge, but you can see here if I hold it up to the court of.

War, I'd like you to read it to me. Please, road cast.

To pro description. Hi there, I'm selling my barely used road cast pro used for radio productions based in Sydney, looking for a new home. Need money for ice cream, and then that's it.

Okay, So, mister Coombs, so you've never seen that? Have you seen that ad before today?

I've just laid eyes on it for the first time, and none of that is written in it.

Did you know you were getting a discount? Did you know that the eight hundred dollars was less than the asking price?

Had that?

Well, that was one thing that he did point out to me when I said.

You're going to charge me, and he goes, yeah, i'll charge you. Lets you know how much I could be for this on gum trick.

Okay, I've heard enough. I'm going to deliberate.

Judge Gina is deliberating and will soon hand down her verdict. Please do not leave the courtroom.

Mitch Coombs, you are seeking eight hundred dollars from Mitch Jury. You do not believe you should have to pay for the road procaster too, as it was gifted to Mitchjury and there was no discussion of payment when he gave it to you. I'm going to make an order in favor of mister Koomb's for eight hundred dollars nothing further.

Thank you.

I'm absolutely stoked with today's outcome. There was a while there where I really didn't think it was going to go my way. I didn't think I had any legs to stand on. I thought that in the eyes of the law, I was screwed.

But here we are.

Common sense prevailed and I knew I could rely on Judge Gina for common sense.

I feel devastated and completely gutted.

I think this trial will affect my relationship with Mitch going forward in a good way, because after this, he will know that I can't BETWI.

Look, I don't really feel this will effect my relationship with Mitchell Coombs. Believe it or not, we have had blow ups bigger than this. I feel the disagreement has been buried once and for all, like I wanted. That is the one outcome of this situation that I am happy with.

Yes, this has been an iHeart production.