Latest news with #NickStevens
ABC News
26-05-2025
- ABC News
Jury in dishonesty trial for Nick Stevens discharged as judge stands down
A judge has discharged the jury in the criminal dishonesty trial of former AFL footballer Nick Stevens, after revealing she has previously prosecuted him. County Court Judge Fran Dalziel told the trial on Monday morning she had previously dealt with Mr Stevens in a case while working as Crown prosecutor. Mr Stevens was facing court over 18 fraud-related charges, including obtaining a financial advantage by deception, after allegedly accepting $170,000 from six families to install swimming pools that were either not started or left incomplete at properties in the Mildura region. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Judge Dalziel told the court she needed to recuse herself from the case to avoid any perception of an unfair hearing. "Because of that appearance, somebody might look at this going, 'Well, how could that judge, having prosecuted him in the past, bring a fair mind to this trial?,'" she told the court. "Nobody is suggesting that I have been biased, but it's the appearance of that." Judge Dalziel told the court Mr Stevens was found not guilty in the previous matter. The court has listed a new four-week trial to begin in late February next year.
ABC News
23-05-2025
- ABC News
Ex-AFL player Nick Stevens accused of defrauding swimming pool customer of almost $30k
A new witness has given evidence in former AFL player Nick Stevens' fraud trial, alleging Mr Stevens duped him out of almost $30,000 in a dodgy swimming pool deal. Stevens is charged with dishonestly accepting more than $170,000 from families in Greater Mildura and is currently facing trial in the County Court of Victoria. Earlier in the trial the 45-year-old pleaded not guilty to all 18 fraud-related charges. The court heard on Friday that David Byrnes paid Mr Stevens $27,513.75 on November 14, 2017 for a pool to be installed at his Irymple address, one suburb away from Mildura, equalling 75 per cent of the total cost of the pool. Mr Byrnes told the court he was expecting Mr Stevens to deliver and install a brand new pool, however was given a beat-up, cracked pool riddled with structural and aesthetic problems. "It wasn't brand new. There was cracks. There still is cracks," Mr Byrnes said before the jury. "[There were] surface cracks in the steps and there was a big hole in the skimmer box that stood out. There was square foam bits on the side of it [the pool].' Upon further investigation, Mr Byrnes learned Mr Stevens also lacked the proper permit to install the structure. "We thought part of the process was you had to get the permit first to start the proceedings to put the pool in," Mr Byrnes said. Mr Stevens never replaced the damaged pool, never installed it legally and correctly, and never provided Mr Byrnes with a refund, the court heard. "You need business insurance from a builder to get the permit to put the pool in," Mr Byrnes said. "Nick didn't have that builders licence to get the insurance to get the permit." Mr Byrnes told the court he asked Mr Stevens for a refund several times. To which Mr Byrnes alleged Mr Stevens responded: "You've got to be kidding me. It's not worth taking the pool out." Director of sales distribution at Explore Industries – formerly Leisure Pools – Jason Smith took the stand on Friday. Mr Smith has held the position at the Queensland-based pool distribution business for two decades, including throughout the time of Mr Stevens' alleged offending. The County Court heard defence barrister Jim Stavris read part of a statement Mr Smith had given, where he said: "He [Nick Stevens] told me [Jason Smith] Nick had a good friend [Brian Mcdonnell] in Mildura who would provide the correct licensing until such time Nick could obtain his own." "I was reassured by him he had this covered and so proceeded to the dealership phase," Mr Smith's statement read. Mr Smith replied by saying he didn't understand. Mr Smith said the plan proposed by Brian Mcdonnell addressed a "gap" in the pool licensing system. "People need a licence to be able to install swimming pools," he told the court. "But you can't learn how to install swimming pools without a licence." Mr Smith told the court he understood Nick Stevens' good friend Brian Mcdonnell was going to use his licence to train people installing pools, so they could later get their own licences. "We were quite excited about this approach, it was new to us," Mr Smith said before the jury. The trial continues.
ABC News
21-05-2025
- ABC News
Ex-AFL player Nick Stevens accused of $170k deception over undelivered pools
Former Carlton and Port Adelaide player Nick Stevens has been accused of deceptively charging families tens of thousands of dollars for pools they never received. The 45-year-old is facing 18 fraud-related charges, including obtaining a financial advantage through deception, after allegedly accepting $170,000 from six families to deliver and install swimming pools at properties in the Mildura region. Prosecutor Toni Stokes told the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne the families were left with either "[not permitted] pools, giant holes in their backyards, or nothing at all". Mr Stevens has pleaded not guilty to all charges. On Wednesday, Mildura Rural City Council municipal building surveyor Mark Yanstes told the court Mr Stevens called the council in January 2018 to ask if he needed a permit to install swimming pools, after accepting money from several clients. The court heard Mr Yantses told him: "Every pool in Victoria needs a building permit." The court heard the council's building surveyors came across several jobs in 2017 and 2018 where home owners had signed an application for building permits, believing they had done the right thing and followed council rules. It was alleged these applications for building permits were linked to a company run by a private building surveyor, but that the surveyor had not received the paperwork before the jobs began. Deputy municipal building surveyor Richard Rowe told the court the council was forced to shut down several of Mr Stevens's work sites. He said pool permits could not be issued retrospectively, so families had to either demolish the pools or leave them as-is, even if they were half-finished. The court heard that at least one family told Mr Stevens to have their pool removed. Mildura man Ben Knight told the court he paid Mr Stevens more than $30,000 for a pool he never got. He said Mr Stevens gave a plethora of excuses for why he could not install the pool, including bad weather. "Every week there was another delay … until late in January when it all finished up," Mr Knight told the court. "One reason was it had rained too much, it was too wet; one was that the truck that delivers the pool had broken down; there was ongoing legal battles with Leisure Pools. "Just about anything you could think of." Mr Knight told the court Mr Stevens gave him a $10,000 refund in February 2018. "I did text Nick after that and asked for the rest of the outstanding balance … there was no answer, so I knew the writing was on the wall," he said. In her opening argument, Ms Stokes told the court Mr Stevens was running a landscaping business in the Mildura area at the time of the alleged offending in 2017 and 2018. She said Mr Stevens was in a dealership agreement with a company called Leisure Pools. The deal was for Leisure Pools to supply the pools, and Mr Stevens was meant to install them, the court heard. In his opening address, defence barrister Jim Stavris told the jury it would "in some ways be a technical case", urging them to pay attention to the chronology and dates in the evidence from witnesses in the trial. The trial before Judge Fran Dalziel continues.
Associated Press
31-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
NTL Trust Launches Real Estate Hub to Streamline Caribbean Citizenship by Investment
'This is more than a real estate site. It's a reliable, structured resource for affluent families and investors looking for secure, long-term options in a fast-changing world.' — Dan Merriam BASSETERRE, SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS, March 31, 2025 / / -- NTL Trust has announced the launch of its new digital platform, the Real Estate Hub, designed to connect global investors with government-approved real estate opportunities eligible for citizenship by investment across the Caribbean. The platform provides access to curated listings in five Caribbean jurisdictions offering CBI programs: Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, and St. Lucia. Each listing is vetted for program eligibility, allowing users to confidently explore and compare real estate options that qualify for second citizenship. The launch of the Real Estate Hub marks a significant enhancement of NTL Trust's services, reflecting its 30+ years of experience in the investment migration industry. The company has operated in the Caribbean since the inception of CBI programs in the region and brings extensive on-the-ground knowledge of regulatory frameworks, local markets, and program evolution. 'We've worked with these programs and real estate developments since their earliest days,' said Nick Stevens, Founder of NTL Trust. 'Over the years, we've seen firsthand how real estate-linked CBI options have matured—from speculative projects to fully built resorts and branded residences. Our goal with this platform is to bring clarity and structure to what can be a complicated decision.' The Real Estate Hub goes beyond standard property listings by offering direct access to licensed professionals, educational resources, and timely updates across the industry. The platform was developed to simplify the real estate component of the citizenship process by offering: A country-filtered search of approved developments Direct access to on-ground experts and a free consultation option Educational tools, including a Newbies Guide to Caribbean Real Estate A news section covering real estate and program updates Dan Merriam, an advisor with Sotheby's International Realty in the Caribbean, emphasized the evolving priorities of global investors: 'With donation thresholds rising in 2024, real estate has firmly positioned itself as the future of Caribbean Citizenship by Investment. Investors today aren't just seeking a second passport—they're acquiring prime assets in markets poised for sustained growth and international appeal.' With stricter due diligence requirements and rising demand for tangible investments, real estate has emerged as a preferred route for applicants seeking transparency, long-term value, and lifestyle upside. 'This is more than a real estate site,' Dan added. 'It's a reliable, structured resource for affluent families and investors looking for secure, long-term options in a fast-changing world.' X LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Legal Disclaimer:
