Former AFL player Nick Stevens convicted of fraud in pool installation scheme
Consensus Summary
Former AFL player Nick Stevens was convicted on April 2024 of fraudulently defrauding six families in Mildura, Victoria, of a combined $170,000–$171,000 for swimming pools he never installed or had illegally built. Stevens, a former Carlton and Port Adelaide player with 231 AFL matches to his name, was found guilty of 12 counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception and one charge of using a false document, though he was acquitted on one charge. The scheme involved Stevens, who worked as a distributor for Leisure Pools, convincing families to pay for pools that were either never delivered or installed without proper permits, leading to stop-work orders from Mildura Council. Stevens’ defence argued he intended to install compliant pools but faced financial troubles, while prosecutors accused him of a deliberate fraud, calling him a habitual liar. He remains in custody until his May 21 plea hearing, with prosecutors expecting a jail term. The case, delayed by three aborted trials, highlights systemic failures in permit processes and Stevens’ alleged deception, leaving victims like Ben Knight out of pocket after paying tens of thousands for unfinished or illegal pools.
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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 on April 2024
- Stevens was remanded in custody until his plea hearing on May 21, 2024, after Judge Fiona Todd denied an extension of his bail
- The fraud involved six families in Mildura, Victoria, who were defrauded of a total of $170,000–$171,000 for pools they never received or had illegally installed
- Stevens, a former Carlton and Port Adelaide AFL player, played 231 matches between 1998 and 2009 and later worked as a distributor for Leisure Pools
- Mildura Rural City Council issued stop-work orders on Stevens’ pool installations due to lack of building permits, with the first order in May 2017
- Stevens pleaded not guilty to all 14 fraud-related charges and his defence argued he intended to install legally compliant pools but faced financial difficulties
- One victim, Ben Knight, paid Stevens over $30,000 for a pool he never received, with Stevens providing excuses like bad weather and legal disputes
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Prosecutor Toni Stokes stated the six Mildura families were left with 'not permitted' pools, giant holes in their backyards, or nothing at all
- Mildura Rural City Council municipal building surveyor Mark Yanstes testified that council building surveyors found several jobs in 2017–2018 where homeowners had signed building permit applications but no paperwork was received by the private surveyor before work began
- Stevens’ defence barrister Jim Stavris argued Stevens had run into financial difficulty by late 2017 but claimed his intention was to install legally compliant pools, stating he would have taken the money and run if he didn’t intend to do the job
- ABC News attributed the quote 'If his intention was not to do the job, then he would have taken the money and run' to Jim Stavris
- ABC included a specific reference to Stevens’ prior experience installing six legally compliant pools under a training agreement with Brian McDonnell and Bricol, which sourced permits under McDonnell’s licence
- Stevens showed 'little reaction' as the verdicts were read, seated in the dock with his eyes kept straight forward
- The charge of using a false document related to a doctored screenshot Stevens allegedly sent to a shipping company, falsely showing he had transferred funds to deliver one customer’s pool; he denied sending it but accepted the screenshot appeared false
- 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, why were they not asked to complete building permits?'
- Stokes stated Stevens had stopped working on the projects by early 2018, with his bank accounts in overdraft and outstanding debts to Leisure Pools and a transport company
- Stokes described Stevens as a 'habitual liar' during closing arguments, stating there was a 'clear conflict' between his claims and the evidence of victims and Brian McDonnell
- The case was plagued by delays, including three aborted trials due to unspecified reasons
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC reports Stevens was found not guilty on one charge of obtaining a financial advantage by deception relating to the first victim, while NEWSCOMAU states he was acquitted on one charge relating to the first part-payment made by the first victim (no mention of a specific victim)
- ABC states Stevens was 45 years old during the trial, while NEWSCOMAU states he was 46 years old
- ABC reports Stevens had played 231 AFL matches between 1998 and 2009, while NEWSCOMAU states he played 231 games over 12 seasons for Port Adelaide and Carlton (no year range specified)
- ABC attributes the quote 'If his intention was not to do the job, then he would have taken the money and run' to Jim Stavris, while NEWSCOMAU does not attribute this exact quote to Stavris but includes similar arguments in his defence
- NEWSCOMAU states Stevens’ bank accounts were in overdraft and he had outstanding debts to Leisure Pools and a transport company, but ABC does not mention the transport company debt
Source Articles
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