Hamilton-based Matthew John Young’s four years and eleven months’ sentence for dishonesty and fraud was confirmed by the Court of Appeal, describing the sentence as stern but not manifestly excessive.
Victims of Young’s offending lost $269,070 following what was described as persistent deceit, abuse of trust and blatant dishonesty. He initially faced more than forty charges. Young pleaded guilty to thirteen, four of which were committed whilst on bail after arrest on earlier fraud charges. He committed the fraud offences whilst bankrupt, following his July 2011 bankruptcy.
The court was told Young’s dishonesty included: using doctored screenshots and falsified e-banking receipts as purported evidence of payments supposedly made under a tenancy agreement; further doctored screenshots of payments from an Australian bank as supposed evidence of an ability to fund lease payments on a commercial tenancy; opening utility accounts for power and phone but making no payments; buying two high-end cars in the name of a company knowing the company had no means to pay; deceiving his partner’s mother by promising to pay for renovations at her home but then leaving her with the bill; and fraudulently carrying on business as a nightclub owner arranging for renovations when he did not own the business and had no intention of meeting contractors’ bills.
Young v. R. – Court of Appeal (18.12.18)
19.027