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An Auckland man jailed today for six months for taking secret commissions on a carpark cleaning contract, has had his sentence deferred two months so he can apply for home detention.
Anthony Dodd, 56, earlier admitted a charge under the Secret Commissions Act and was jailed by Justice John Hansen in the High Court at Auckland.
The court heard he became involved in a car parking scam involving his son-in-law Tim Ellis, and David van Dam who were each jailed for nine months.
The trio defrauded Wilson by sending inflated invoices -- well above the national average -- for cleaning car parks.
In court today the judge said Dodd's involvement in the scam was a personal tragedy for him.
He had been a hard-working and respected member of the community although his culpability was not as great as Ellis or van Dam.
He became aware of the offending and allowed it to continue.
The offending was "insidious" and justified a jail term but from a starting point of 15 months, Dodd would get a discount of nine months for his guilty plea, his previously clean record, and the full reparation he had paid.
The judge said the sentence would be deferred two months to allow the Parole Board to decide on an application for home detention. In the meantime Dodd would be released on bail.
- NZPA
