Former AFL player Nick Stevens convicted of fraud in pool installation scheme
Consensus Summary
Former AFL player Nick Stevens was convicted in May 2024 of fraudulently defrauding six Mildura families out of $170,000–$171,000 by promising to install swimming pools he never delivered or illegally built. The 46-year-old, who played 231 AFL games for Carlton and Port Adelaide, was found guilty on 13 counts (12 for deception, 1 for using a false document) after a trial plagued by delays. Prosecutors proved Stevens knew he lacked building permits and never intended to comply with legal requirements, leaving victims with unfinished pools or holes in their yards. Judge Fiona Todd denied bail extensions, remanding Stevens in custody until sentencing. Both sources agree on the core facts—such as the guilty verdicts, the $171,000 total fraud, and the role of Mildura Council’s stop-work orders—but differ slightly on procedural details like judicial phrasing and Stevens’ emotional demeanor during the verdict. Defence arguments focused on Stevens’ prior experience with compliant installations, while prosecutors highlighted inconsistencies in his claims and evidence.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Nick Stevens was found guilty on 12 counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception and 1 charge of using a false document in the County Court of Victoria (May 2024).
- Stevens pleaded not guilty to all 14 fraud-related charges in 2019, with the trial concluding in May 2024 after multiple delays.
- Six families in Mildura, Victoria, were defrauded out of a total of $170,000–$171,000 for pools they never received or had illegally installed.
- Stevens was remanded in custody until his plea hearing on May 21, 2024, with Judge Fiona Todd denying bail extensions.
- Prosecutor Toni Stokes alleged Stevens knew he lacked building permits and never intended to install legally compliant pools, leaving victims with unfinished pools or holes in their yards.
- Stevens previously played 231 AFL matches for Carlton and Port Adelaide between 1998 and 2009, later coaching SANFL’s Glenelg.
- One victim, Ben Knight, paid Stevens over $30,000 for a pool he never received, citing excuses like broken trucks and legal disputes with Leisure Pools.
- Mildura Rural City Council issued stop-work orders on Stevens’ projects in 2017–2018 due to missing permits, shutting down several work sites.
- Stevens ran a landscaping business and had a dealership agreement with Leisure Pools to sell and install pools during the alleged fraud (2017–2018).
- The false document charge involved a doctored screenshot Stevens allegedly sent to a shipping company to falsely show payment for a pool delivery.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Judge Fiona Todd ‘knocked back’ Stevens’ bail extension request, explicitly stating she was not convinced bail should be extended.
- Prosecutor Toni Stokes described victims as left with ‘[not permitted] pools, giant holes in their backyards, or nothing at all’ (direct quote).
- Building surveyor Mark Yanstes testified council surveyors found Stevens’ jobs lacked permits linked to a private surveyor who hadn’t received paperwork.
- Defence barrister Jim Stavris argued Stevens ‘tried to fix’ victims by attempting repairs, implying he had good intentions initially.
- ABC cited AAP contributors (David Crosling, Tracey Nearmy) for specific details like the 12 guilty counts and one not-guilty count.
- Victim Ben Knight’s statement about Stevens’ excuses (‘bad weather, truck breakdowns, legal battles’) was attributed directly to ABC’s reporting.
- Stevens showed ‘little reaction’ to the verdicts, seated with ‘eyes kept straight forward’ (descriptive detail).
- Prosecutor Toni Stokes asked the jury: ‘If the accused intended to comply with the legal requirements, why were there no major building contracts, no domestic building insurance?’ (direct quote).
- Stevens claimed his ex-partner may have sent the false screenshot, denying personal involvement.
- Defence argued Stevens had prior experience installing six legally compliant pools under Brian McDonnell’s supervision, citing this as evidence of his capability.
- NEWSCOMAU emphasized Stevens’ financial difficulties by 2018, including overdraft bank accounts and debts to Leisure Pools and a transport company.
- Judge Fiona Todd summarized the jury’s task as determining whether Stevens ‘knew that representation was false or was probably false at the time he made it’ (direct quote).
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC states Judge Todd ‘knocked back’ bail, while NEWSCOMAU says she was ‘unconvinced’ Stevens’ bail should be extended (slightly different phrasing but implies similar denial).
- NEWSCOMAU reports Stevens ‘showed little reaction’ to verdicts, but ABC does not mention his emotional response.
- ABC cites a victim’s $30,000 payment as ‘more than $30,000’, while NEWSCOMAU does not specify the exact amount beyond the $171,000 total.
- ABC attributes the quote ‘[not permitted] pools’ to Prosecutor Stokes, while NEWSCOMAU does not include this exact phrasing in its summary.
- NEWSCOMAU claims Stevens had no contact with Brian McDonnell after the training period, but ABC does not explicitly contradict this—only Stavris argued the arrangement was ‘ongoing’.
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