A company director who falsified applications for grants from a gaming machine society has been sentenced to six months community detention and 400 hours community work.
Jeffrey Michael Horne, who had name suppression until today, also has to repay more than $47,000 to the society for return to the community.
Horne, 55, pleaded guilty to a representative charge of dishonestly using a document to obtain grants from gaming machine society First Sovereign Trust.
Between November 2004 and October 2009 FST granted $667,309.30 to Water Rescue New Zealand, an incorporated society formed by Horne to assist with jet boat marathons and other associated events.
In the Christchurch District Court today Crown prosecutor Heather McKenzie said Horne falsely signed grant applications as another Water Rescue member, created false resolutions and minutes, signed them in the name of the president, and altered quotations and invoices.