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A couple’s marriage unraveled after a former AFL player, turned con artist, left an unfulfilled promise and a gaping hole in their backyard.
Nick Stevens, a 46-year-old former player for Carlton and Port Adelaide, appeared in Melbourne’s County Court for a pre-sentence hearing. During the session, his victims shared the devastating impact of his fraudulent activities.
Stevens was found guilty by a jury of 12 counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception, along with one count of using a false document. His fraudulent actions in 2017 led to him swindling around $157,000 from six families in regional areas through his pool installation business.
Although he successfully installed six pools that met legal standards under the oversight of a registered builder, Stevens later operated independently. Unfortunately, he did so without possessing the necessary licenses, registrations, permits, or insurance.
He collected money from these families but either left them with non-compliant pools or, in some cases, failed to install a pool altogether, leaving only large, empty holes in their backyards.
Many victims were retirees or close to retirement with “little fat” in their budgets, trying to install pools for their children or grandchildren in the sweltering regional town of Mildura, the court was told.
“An exhausting and relentless nightmare that I was reminded of every day, seeing the hole in my yard,” Ben Knight said, in a statement read to court by prosecutor Toni Stokes.
The offending took a toll on his family, who had been excited about getting a pool, but were left with an empty hole for years.
“The pressure led to fighting between me and my wife over financial loss … a rollercoaster that eventually led to the breakdown in our marriage,” he said.
Rod Charman said Stevens’ constant lies, empty promises and blaming of others had drained him emotionally and financially.
“Each time I was told an untruth I got increasingly anxious over the pool being supplied, to be duped by Stevens and his lies,” he said.
“The build-up of these lies infuriated me. The impact on our children and grandchildren of not having a pool for Christmas, as we had been promised, was profound and affected me deeply.”
Stevens, who played 231 games in the AFL until retiring in 2009 due to injury, watched via videolink from Hopkins Prison in Ararat, where his lawyer said he will likely stay for the rest of his sentence.
Barrister Jim Stavris urged the judge to spare Stevens a longer prison term, as he had already spent 52 days behind bars since the verdict in March and there had been lengthy delays to finalising the matter.
Stevens’ profile as a former footballer meant he was a vulnerable prisoner who had to be held in protection, he said as he asked for Stevens to receive a community work order.
“He’s going to do his time a bit harder than most,” Stavris said.
“The benefit to community is for him to get out and keep working … under a strict community corrections order, so he can look at ways that he can better himself.”
Judge Fiona Todd ordered Stevens be assessed for a community corrections order, but noted that she was unlikely to hand him a sentence other than a term of imprisonment.
“The role of punishment, denunciation, is powerful in this,” she said.
Stokes said Stevens had shown no remorse as he continued to maintain his innocence, and – coupled with the impact of his offending on victims – prison with a non-parole period was warranted.
Stevens was remanded in custody and will return to the court for his sentence on June 15.
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