Man admits insurance frauds

Press, 3 July 1986, Page 4

Man admits insurance frauds

A self-employed insurance broker fraudulently obtained $129,059 in commissions on fictitious proposals with three insurance companies, said Sergeant G. C. Jones in the District Court yesterday. Henk Josephus Arnoldus Hofmans, aged 50 (Mr J. S. Fairclough), admitted 19 charges of forgery, and 12 of fraudulently obtaining Insurance commission payments, between September last year and May this year. He was convicted by Judge Fraser and remanded on renewed ball of $6OOO to July 16 for probation and reparation reports. Mr Fairclough said that while his client realised the inevitability of a custodial sentence bail was sought to enable him to put his affairs in order. The police were holding Hofmans’ passport and some of his assets. The offending came to light after the manager of one company reported to the police that six insurance proposals, on which it had paid the defendant $25,142, were fraudulent, said Sergeant Jones. When spoken to by the police Hofmans admitted preparing the insurance proposals using fictitious particulars. So that premiums could be kept up to date funds had been deposited by the defendant in several bank accounts he opened, using the names of those for whom he had taken out the policies.

Hofmans received commission payments of $45,138 and $58,769 from the two other insurance companies involved. Sergeant Jones said the defendant had used some of the money on an overseas trip, daily living expenses, and on paying the premiums. Had all the proposals submitted by Hofmans been accepted he would have received a total of $262,740 in commission payments, said Sergeant Jones. When apprehended by the police the defendant was about to leave by air for a visit to Holland and had put his car into a car auction room to be sold. Hofmans told the police he had become frustrated when a prospective client had turned down a policy that would have earned him a "substantial” commission, said Sergeant Jones. CUSTODY Paul Anthony Nolly, aged 26, found acting suspiciously in Templeton

Road on June 18 gave himself up to the police after an R.N.Z.A.F. helicopter flushed him out of his hiding place, said Sergeant Jones. Nolly, unemployed (Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon), was found in possession of glass cutters. He, told the police he was looking for a place to burgle.

The defendant also admitted two charges of receiving stolen property, valued at $3250, cultivating 35 cannabis plants, and breaches of periodic detention and supervision. Sergeant Jones said the bulk of the stolen property was found when the police executed a search warrant at a house in Nash Road. The cannabis plants, ranging In height from 25mm to 200 mm, were growing among other vegetables in the garden. Nolly told the police he thought the house would be a safe place in which to store the stolen property. The cannabis was for his own use. Bail was refused and the defendant was remanded in custody to July 9 for a probation report and sentence. 12 MONTHS JAIL A man, aged 41, convicted on two charges of indecently assaulting a girl, aged 16, in May was jailed for 12 months. The Judge told William James Daniel Ahpene (Mr P. J. Rutledge), that it would be “quite impossible” to deal with the matter by other than a term of imprisonment Ahpene had admitted the offences, which occurred on May 4 and 6. While his client’s behaviour was unacceptable there was never any direct physical contact between the defendant and the girl, said Mr Rutledge. Irrespective of. the court sentence, the defendant was in need of help, he said.