Unlicensed pool builder Nick Stevens continues to face court despite evidence hiccup

Landscaper, unlicensed pool builder and ex-AFL player Nick Stevens is facing trial in the County Court of Victoria, accused of defrauding six families in Mildura of $171,000 for incomplete or undelivered swimming pools.

Stevens has been charged with 13 counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception, one count of using a false document and four counts of theft laid as alternatives. He has pleaded not guilty.

Earlier, the Herald Sun has reported prosecutor Toni Stokes alleging in court that Stevens deceived the six families into paying him $171,000 for pools that were either illegally installed or not provided.

The court heard that Stevens had previously run a landscaping business, and had legally installed some fibreglass pools under supervision.

However, the prosecutor alleges that he decided to go out on his own, knowing he was unlicensed. It is alleged he received tens of thousands of dollars in payment from six families despite knowing he was not qualified as a registered builder and needed a major building contract and domestic building insurance.

The prosecution alleges that three families were left with illegally and shoddily installed swimming pools, while three others were left with “giant holes in their backyards”. The families are expected to give evidence about their dealings with Stevens.

It is alleged that one family received a full refund of $26,500, while another received a partial refund of $10,000.

Stevens’ barrister Jim Stavris asked jurors to listen carefully to the evidence in the trial, including the chronology of the training his client received.

The Herald Sun reports him telling the court that Stevens’ intention was a key consideration.

“I submit to you that if someone intended to defraud someone, deceive someone, they don’t give money back.”

In a late hiccup, the jury was dismissed following issues with prosecution evidence – videos containing the questioning of witnesses from Stevens’ first trial, which had been aborted because a judge could not continue in the case.

At the time of writing the case was continuing and with a new jury to be sworn in.