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, out of $170,000–$171,000 for swimming pools he never legally installed. 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 after a jury trial in Melbourne’s County Court. Both sources agree he deceived customers into believing he would deliver compliant pools, leaving them with unfinished or illegal installations that required demolition. Prosecutors argued Stevens knew the legal requirements but deliberately avoided permits and contracts, while his defence claimed he intended to comply but faced financial difficulties. Stevens was remanded in custody until his May 21 plea hearing, with prosecutors warning he would likely receive a jail term. Victims like Ben Knight testified about losing tens of thousands of dollars, and council records confirm stop-work orders were issued due to missing permits. Despite minor discrepancies in age and emotional reaction details, both articles confirm the core fraud scheme and its impact on the families involved.
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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
- Stevens allegedly defrauded six families in Mildura, Victoria, out of $170,000–$171,000 for pools they never received or received illegally
- The six families were left with either no pools, giant holes in their backyards, or non-compliant pools requiring demolition
- Stevens was a former Carlton and Port Adelaide AFL player who played 231 matches between 1998 and 2009 and later coached SANFL club Glenelg
- The case involved pools branded as 'Leisure Pools' that Stevens claimed to install but never legally permitted or completed
- Mildura Rural City Council issued stop-work orders on Stevens’ pool installations due to lack of permits, with the first order in May 2017
- Stevens pleaded not guilty to all 14 fraud-related charges and was acquitted on one count of obtaining financial advantage by deception (first victim’s part-payment)
- Prosecutor Toni Stokes argued Stevens knew the legal requirements for pool installations but deliberately avoided permits and contracts
- Stevens’ defence claimed he intended to install compliant pools but faced financial difficulties and relied on a training arrangement with builder Brian McDonnell
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- One victim, Ben Knight, paid Stevens over $30,000 for a pool he never received, citing excuses like bad weather and legal battles with Leisure Pools
- Stevens’ defence barrister Jim Stavris argued Stevens tried to 'fix' the pools rather than absconding with money, emphasizing chronology and intention at the time of agreements
- Mildura man Ben Knight’s testimony was specifically highlighted in ABC’s reporting as a key victim’s perspective
- ABC included a quote from building surveyor Mark Yanstes confirming council’s role in shutting down Stevens’ work sites due to missing permits
- ABC noted Stevens had bank accounts in overdraft and outstanding debts to Leisure Pools and a transport company by early 2018
- Stevens showed 'little reaction' to the verdicts, seated in the dock with eyes forward
- The false document charge related to a doctored screenshot Stevens allegedly sent to a shipping company, falsely showing a fund transfer for a pool delivery
- Stevens denied sending the false screenshot, suggesting his ex-partner may have done so
- Prosecutor Toni Stokes asked the jury: 'If the accused intended to comply with legal requirements, why were there no major building contracts or domestic building insurance?'
- Stokes explicitly called Stevens a 'habitual liar' during closing arguments, a claim Stevens denied
- Newscomaau emphasized that only one family received a full refund and another a partial refund, while four were left out of pocket
- The article highlighted that Stevens had previously installed six legally compliant pools under a training agreement with Brian McDonnell’s company Bricol
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC reports Stevens was 45 years old at the time of the trial, while Newscomaau states he was 46
- ABC does not mention Stevens’ emotional reaction to the verdict, whereas Newscomaau describes him as showing 'little reaction' with eyes forward
- ABC states Stevens was found not guilty on one charge relating to the first victim’s financial advantage, but Newscomaau specifies this was only for the first part-payment, not the full charge
- Newscomaau claims Stevens’ false document involved a doctored screenshot sent to a shipping company, while ABC does not detail the nature of the false document beyond it being a 'false document'
- ABC reports Stevens’ defence argued he tried to 'fix' the pools rather than absconding, while Newscomaau focuses more on his claim of relying on a training arrangement with McDonnell
Source Articles
Ex-AFL player ripped off pool customers
A former AFL star, who had a stellar 12-season career, defrauded six families of tens of thousands of dollars through his pool installation business....
Former AFL player Nick Stevens found guilty of dishonesty charges
A jury has found AFL player Nick Stevens guilty of deceptively charging families for swimming pools they never received....