Dead baby's ID stolen for benefit fraud

An American who stole a dead New Zealand baby's identity while on the run has admitted using forged documents to collect more than $110,000 in benefits.

Yesterday, William Kevin Roach, 49, pleaded guilty in the Christchurch District Court to eight charges, including forgery and personation, after assuming the identity of Sean Patrick Quinn.

Sean, aged only five weeks, died in Tauranga in October 1965 of a cerebral tumour.

Roach at some unspecified time obtained a birth certificate for the dead baby and in January 2000 used it, and other forged documents, to successfully apply for a New Zealand passport.

He was also receiving social welfare payments in the name of Sean between December 1994 and April 2005 - at the time of his arrest the single man was receiving a $239-a-week sickness benefit.

In total, Roach fraudulently claimed more than $110,000 in New Zealand Government assistance including: $63,000 in sickness benefits; $4700 in unemployment hardship student benefits; $600 in unemployment benefits; $500 in special needs grants; $16,000 in accommodation supplements; $6600 in disability allowances; a $12,000 student allowance and a $6200 student loan.

Christchurch detective Craig Farrant said Roach had also been receiving free medical care as a sufferer of chronic pancreatitis, to which he was not legally entitled.

Mr Farrant said Roach had admitted the facts outlined in the police prosecution case and told police he believed he was wanted by American authorities and did not wish to return to that country.

"The identification of Sean Patrick Quinn has been callously stolen by the defendant for his own benefit and criminal purpose, causing a considerable amount of hurt to the family of the deceased knowing that their son's identity had been abused in this way."

Roach also pleaded guilty to possession of 389g of cannabis, which police found while executing a search warrant at his home.

His deceptions went undetected for several years until an Internal Affairs audit alerted officials to possible fraudulent activity.

Internal Affairs spokesman Colin Feslier said security around the issuing of NZ passports had been stepped up in the past few years.

- NZPA