Mortgage fraudster loses Supreme Court bid

Eli Devoy at her sentencing in the Auckland District Court last year. Picture / Nick Reed.

The woman at the centre of a $9.2 million mortgage fraud has lost another bid to challenge her jail sentence - this time before the Supreme Court

Eli Devoy, in her late 40s, was sentenced to five years' jail last year for her role as the ringleader of a fraudulent scheme that involved friends and members of her family.

In the fraud, Devoy and others used false and forged documents to obtain millions of dollars worth loans from banks for 11 Auckland properties.

After already losing one appeal, Devoy sought to take her case to the Supreme Court.

This time she only sought to challenge the minimum period of imprisonment of two and a half years' which was imposed.

But in a decision released today the Supreme Court did not think it was appropriate to hear the case and did not give her leave for the appeal

Devoy had already attempted to challenge her convictions and sentence when appearing before the Court of Appeal earlier this year on the basis that her trial lawyers allegedly made errors.

But Justices Rhys Harrison, Murray Gilbert and Sarah Katz said both trial lawyers acted according to their instructions

The two lawyers - Mina Wharepouri and Quentin Duff - both "discharged their obligations as Ms Devoy's trial counsel with considerable skill and care in demanding circumstances".

The judges said that the evidence of Devoy's guilt was "overwhelming".