Former AFL player Nick Stevens convicted of fraud in pool installation scheme
Consensus Summary
A jury in Victoria’s County Court convicted former AFL player Nick Stevens of 13 fraud-related charges after he defrauded six families in Mildura out of $171000 for non-existent pool installations. Stevens, who played 231 AFL games for Port Adelaide and Carlton, was found guilty of 12 counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception and one false document charge in April 2024, though he was acquitted on one count. Prosecutors proved he never intended to deliver legally compliant pools, despite prior experience with compliant installations, and that he operated without permits after council stop-work orders. Stevens’ financial troubles in late 2017—including overdrafts and debts—coincided with his abandonment of the projects. Judge Fiona Todd remanded him to custody ahead of sentencing in May, rejecting bail requests. Victims like Ben Knight testified to receiving excuses for delays, while Stevens’ defence argued he initially believed permits would be issued. Both sources agree on the core fraud scheme but differ slightly on specifics like his age, exact debts, and the false document’s origin.
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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 2024
- Stevens was acquitted on 1 charge of obtaining a financial advantage by deception relating to the first victim’s part-payment in 2017
- The fraud involved six customers 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 pool installation business in 2017, despite lacking proper building permits for the projects
- Judge Fiona Todd remanded Stevens into custody, rejecting his barrister Jim Stavris’ request to extend bail ahead of a pre-sentence hearing on May 21, 2024
- Mildura Council issued stop-work orders for Stevens’ pool installations in 2017 due to missing permits, with the first order issued in May 2017
- Stevens pleaded not guilty to all 14 charges and was charged in 2019, with the case delayed by three aborted trials
- Prosecutor Toni Stokes alleged Stevens never intended to install legally compliant pools, despite having prior experience with compliant installations under supervision
- Stevens’ 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:
- Stevens’ barrister Jim Stavris argued prosecutors would likely secure a ‘reasonable’ 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 delivery—he 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’s company Bricol
- Prosecutor Toni Stokes accused Stevens of being a ‘habitual liar’ and highlighted a ‘clear conflict’ between his testimony and evidence from victims and McDonnell
- Judge Fiona Todd framed the jury’s central question as whether Stevens ‘knowingly made false representations’ about delivering legally compliant pools at the time of agreements
- ABC included a photograph caption noting Stevens’ age as 45 (compared to NEWSCOMAU’s 46)
- ABC emphasized Stevens’ prior coaching role at SANFL club Glenelg (not mentioned in NEWSCOMAU)
- ABC quoted victim Ben Knight, who paid Stevens over $30,000 for a pool he never received, detailing excuses like ‘bad weather’ and ‘truck breakdowns’
- ABC specified Stevens was running a landscaping business alongside his Leisure Pools dealership role
- ABC noted pool permits could not be issued retrospectively, forcing families to either demolish pools or leave them incomplete
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- NEWSCOMAU states Stevens’ age as 46, while ABC reports his age as 45
- NEWSCOMAU describes Stevens as a ‘former Carlton vice-captain’ with 231 AFL games, but ABC does not emphasize his vice-captain role
- NEWSCOMAU claims Stevens’ ex-partner may have sent the false document screenshot, while ABC does not mention this possibility
- NEWSCOMAU states Stevens’ bank accounts were in overdraft and he had debts to Leisure Pools *and* a transport company, but ABC only mentions debts to Leisure Pools
- NEWSCOMAU reports Stevens’ barrister Jim Stavris argued he should remain on bail due to a ‘reasonable’ jail term likelihood, while ABC does not specify the exact reasoning for bail extension
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