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Car fraudster loses appeal

Court dismisses conman’s bid to overturn conviction and sentence citing his “high level of culpability”.
Posted on 06 September, 2021
Car fraudster loses appeal

A jailed fraudster who ran a luxury-vehicle scam that netted about $700,000 has lost an appeal over his convictions and sentence.

Raymond Anthony Andrews was convicted of fraud, using forged documents and concealing or removing property after a trial in March 2019.

The 71-year-old was an undischarged bankrupt controlling a company contrary to the Companies Act when he was importing and distributing high-end vehicles between 2015 and 2017. He also wilfully misled the Official Assignee (OA).

Prosecutors estimated his victims lost about $700,000 for the promise of vehicles such as a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Another vehicle business also lost $345,000, although Andrews disputed the quantum of the total loss.

He was sentenced to six years and six months in jail at the Auckland District Court in July 2019.

Andrews appealed his convictions and sentence, alleging his trial lawyer failed to prepare adequately and advance his defence in accordance with his instructions, reports the NZ Herald. He said this resulted in a miscarriage of justice.

He also claimed his counsel failed to prepare a brief of evidence, to discharge his duties of cross-examination and gave an inadequate closing address.

The Court of Appeal has dismissed Andrews’ case in a decision released this month, which followed a hearing before Justice Cameron Mander in June 2021.

It says: “In addition to substantial loss, other aggravating features were present in this case that demonstrated Mr Andrews’ high level of culpability, including the duration and breadth of his offending as an undischarged bankrupt.”

Andrews was previously jailed in 2013 for 15 months for controlling a business while bankrupt, obtaining credit by deception and concealing two bank accounts.

He was denied parole last month and will be seen again by the Parole Board in April, while his statutory release date is December 10, 2024.