my brother reported me for fraud and i had to prove it was him in front of a tribunal

I (34M) have been dealing with my older brother Marcus (38M) for years, but I never thought it would come to this. We’ve been locked in a dispute over our parents’ estate since they passed last year—Marcus thinks he’s entitled to more because he’s the eldest, and he’s never forgiven me for taking over Dad’s hardware business. I built it up from nothing, and he’s been resentful ever since.

Last Saturday morning, I was making coffee when two police officers knocked on my door. In front of my neighbours—Mrs. Patterson was watering her roses and saw everything—they told me Marcus had reported me for identity fraud. He claimed I’d used his name to open a credit account at Bunnings Warehouse on March 3rd and bought $3,500 worth of tools. I felt cold rage wash over me. I knew exactly what this was: a setup to humiliate me and gain leverage in the estate fight.

The problem was, my wife Sarah was away on a work trip in Melbourne, and she had the password to our family laptop. The bank statements that could prove I never opened that account were locked behind her login. I couldn’t reach her—she was in a meeting all day. So I stood there, in my driveway, trying to explain to the police that my brother was framing me. They took my statement and left, but I could feel the neighbourhood watching.

That’s when Detective Sergeant Priya Kapoor got involved. She’s a sharp woman, mid-forties, no nonsense. She reviewed the store’s CCTV footage from the day the account was opened. The person who signed the application wore a cap and sunglasses, but the build—broad shoulders, a slight stoop—matched Marcus more than me. She also noticed the handwriting on the form had Marcus’s quirks: he loops his ‘g’s in a way I never do. She didn’t say it outright, but I could tell she was suspicious of him.

Marcus didn’t stop there. He filed a complaint with NCAT—the Civil and Administrative Tribunal—demanding I pay him $3,500 in damages. And he leaked the story to our local community Facebook group, calling me a thief. People I’ve known for years started giving me dirty looks at the shops. My reputation was being shredded.

At the NCAT hearing last week, I brought everything I had: a forensic handwriting expert’s report that conclusively showed Marcus’s handwriting on the application, and the CCTV stills Kapoor provided. The tribunal member took one look at the evidence and dismissed Marcus’s claim with costs. Detective Kapoor then recommended Marcus be charged with making a false report.

My name is clear, but I don’t know if I’ll ever speak to my brother again. The rift is permanent now. Am I overreacting for cutting him off completely? Would you put up with this from a sibling?