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A legal loophole has now been closed where young offenders can go through court under a false name - but there are still fears innocent people may pay for the crimes of others in the future.
The loophole was recently highlighted in a case where an Auckland man was charged, convicted and sentenced for driving offences using the identity of an acquaintance.
The innocent man was disqualified from driving for six months because the real offender, 20-year-old Adam Pho Fu, was never asked for positive identification.
"What I really did was just give false details. I didn't show a licence.
"I just gave another name and I went through the court system as another person, and that's all I've done," he told the Sunday Star-Times.
In another case in March, an innocent Auckland teenager was convicted of drink-driving in Gore, disqualified from driving and had a warrant issued for his arrest.
The real offender, 19-year-old Te Haurua O'Reilly, was later convicted of perverting the course of justice.
Until recently, police had been unable to force minors to provide identification unless they had been arrested.
The legal loophole has now been closed with changes to the Policing Act, allowing police to fingerprint even minor offenders without an arrest.
But there are concerns more innocent New Zealanders have unwittingly had their names used by offenders and won't find out about any wrongful convictions until they are stopped by police, apply for a job or seek finance.
Associate professor at Auckland University's law faculty Scott Optican said the recent cases raise questions about the court process.
"It could impact on [the victim's] credit rating. There are obviously some very serious implications for them in terms of paying fines or applying for finance."
Fu is now facing a charge of perverting the course of justice after going through the court system using an acquaintance's identity. Four months ago, Fu was stopped by police for street racing in central Auckland while disqualified from driving.
"Because I was driving while disqualified and I thought it would be okay if I gave someone else's name. Well, I didn't exactly want to give my name," he told the Star-Times.
He gave police the false name and date of birth, and was charged, convicted and sentenced under those details. Fu said he paid the fine and almost got away with it.
Fu believed the acquaintance found out when the police stopped him, and must have been perplexed to hear about a disqualification against his name. That was when police ran further checks of the car registrations.
"Otherwise, I don't believe the police would have found out, to be honest."
- NZPA