Former AFL player Nick Stevens convicted of fraud in pool installation scheme
Consensus Summary
A former AFL player Nick Stevens was convicted of fraud after defrauding six families in Mildura, Victoria, of approximately $171000 for pool installations that were never legally completed. Stevens, who played for Port Adelaide and Carlton, was found guilty on 13 chargesâ12 counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception and one charge of using a false documentâthough he was acquitted on one deception charge related to the first victim. The scheme involved Stevens, working as a Leisure Pools distributor and landscaping business owner, taking payments for pools without obtaining permits or completing installations, leading to stop-work orders from Mildura Council in 2017. Prosecutors argued Stevens had prior experience installing compliant pools but deliberately avoided legal requirements, while his defence claimed financial difficulties and a belief permits would be issued retroactively. Judge Fiona Todd remanded Stevens into custody ahead of sentencing in May, rejecting his bid to extend bail. Victims, including Ben Knight who paid over $30000, described Stevensâ excuses for delays, while evidence showed he had stopped work on all projects by early 2018 amid his own financial troubles.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Nick Stevens, 46, was found guilty of 12 counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception and 1 charge of using a false document in the County Court of Victoria on Monday, April 2023.
- Stevens was acquitted on 1 charge of obtaining a financial advantage by deception relating to the first victimâs part-payment in 2017.
- The fraud involved six families in Mildura, Victoria, who paid Stevens a total of approximately $171,000 for pool installations that were never legally completed or delivered.
- Stevens worked as a distributor for Leisure Pools and operated a landscaping business while allegedly defrauding customers between 2017 and 2018.
- Judge Fiona Todd remanded Stevens into custody, rejecting his barrister Jim Stavrisâ request to extend bail ahead of a pre-sentence hearing on May 21, 2024.
- Mildura Council issued stop-work orders for Stevensâ pool installations due to lack of permits, with the first order issued in May 2017.
- Stevens pleaded not guilty to all 14 fraud-related charges and was charged in 2019, with the case involving three aborted trials before reaching verdicts.
- Prosecutor Toni Stokes alleged Stevens never intended to install legally compliant pools, despite having prior experience installing six compliant pools under supervision.
- Stevensâ financial difficulties in late 2017 included overdrawn bank accounts and outstanding debts to Leisure Pools and a transport company.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Stevensâ barrister Jim Stavris argued prosecutors would likely secure a âreasonableâ jail term, prompting Judge Fiona Todd to remand him into custody.
- The false document charge related to a doctored screenshot Stevens allegedly sent to a shipping company, falsely showing he had transferred funds for a pool deliveryâhe denied sending it but admitted the screenshot appeared false.
- Stevens claimed he believed permits would be issued after final approvals and had clients sign forms to apply for permits, which he sent to registered builder Brian McDonnell.
- Prosecutor Toni Stokes accused Stevens of being a âhabitual liarâ and highlighted a âclear conflictâ between his testimony and evidence from victims and McDonnell.
- The case centered on pools installed in Mildura in 2017 while Stevens worked as a Leisure Pools distributor, with one family receiving a full refund and another a partial refund.
- ABC included a quote from victim Ben Knight, who paid Stevens over $30,000 for a pool he never received, citing excuses like bad weather and legal battles with Leisure Pools.
- The ABC article emphasized that Stevensâ landscaping business was active during the alleged fraud, alongside his dealership agreement with Leisure Pools.
- ABC noted that pool permits could not be issued retrospectively, forcing families to either demolish pools or leave them incomplete.
- The ABC article highlighted that Stevensâ defence argued he ran into financial difficulty *after* entering agreements but claimed his intention was always to install compliant pools.
- ABC included a specific mention of Stevensâ prior coaching role with SANFL club Glenelg between 1998 and 2009, adding context to his post-AFL career.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- NEWSCOMAU states Stevens was 46 during the trial, while ABC reports his age as 45 during the same proceedings.
- NEWSCOMAU claims Stevensâ bank accounts were in overdraft and he had outstanding debts to Leisure Pools *by early 2018*, while ABC does not specify a timeline for these financial difficulties beyond late 2017.
- NEWSCOMAU reports Stevensâ defence argued he âstarted jobs thinking the permits were coming,â while ABCâs summary of the defence focuses on Stevensâ financial struggles *after* entering agreements, omitting this specific claim.
- NEWSCOMAU details Stevensâ false document charge as involving a doctored screenshot sent to a shipping company, but ABC does not mention this specific detail or the role of his ex-partner in the defenceâs denial.
- ABC includes a direct quote from victim Ben Knight about Stevensâ excuses (e.g., broken-down trucks), which is not referenced in NEWSCOMAUâs article.
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