KEY POINTS:
Former New Zealand Rugby League chairman Graham William Carden's desperate attempts to regain his status have instead led him to jail.
Judge Denys Barry yesterday sentenced Carden, 56, to 21 months' jail when he appeared in Wellington District Court after admitting six representative fraud charges laid by the Department of Internal Affairs.
Carden admitted two counts of forgery, two of making a false declaration and one count each of using a document with intent to defraud and dishonestly using a document. The Crown withdrew a further 124 charges at a previous appearance.
The charges related to a karaoke business Carden started in Porirua in 2002, Premier Music Ltd. Despite being bankrupt, he took control of the business's finances.
He applied for gaming machine grant funding, forging a variety of documents, including some from members of his own family.
He was also given $35,000 by Work and Income to run a karaoke operators' training course.
Judge Barry said Carden had created an elaborate front to obtain and disperse funds, mainly for personal use. Carden had fallen upon hard times from "some heights of eminence" and had lost sight of reality in his attempts to claw his way back.
The offending was premeditated, closely planned and systematic.
Aggravating factors were the scale of offending and the use of unsuspecting individuals' identities to commit fraud.
However, in Carden's favour were his guilty pleas, his remorse and previous good character and his offer of reparation.
The Crown had sought reparation of $125,210 but Judge Barry ordered $42,000 be paid.
He also granted Carden leave to apply for home detention.
- NZPA
