New Plymouth grandmother faces jail for ACC fraud

Rosina Williams admitted 44 fraud charges. Picture / Alan Gibson

A 63-year-old New Plymouth grandmother who defrauded ACC of $206,000 over a decade is likely to serve a prison term after pleading guilty to 44 fraud charges yesterday.

The woman, Rosina Williams, also known as Rosina Mary Healey, was remanded at the Tauranga District Court by Judge Thomas Ingram to July 10 for sentencing.

She has already served a nine-month prison term after being convicted of defrauding Work and Income New Zealand.

In 2003 she and her husband, Brian Tairoa Healey, were convicted of falsely claiming welfare payments totalling more than $200,000. Brian Healey was sentenced to 15 months' jail.

The latest fraud, this time targeting ACC, appears to be of a similar kind.

According to a summary of facts obtained by the Herald, Williams first approached ACC in 1990 after she had a bicycle accident.

She suffered grazes and bruising to her face, knee and shoulder, but initially was deemed fit enough to return to work after four weeks' rest.

But she complained of continuing problems with her shoulder.

After corrective surgery, she said her condition remained poor and she could not return to work.

Between July 18, 1990, and May 16, 2003, Williams provided medical certificates to ACC to prove she was unfit for work.

Despite this, she had several stints of working as a rest home nurse over about 10 years.

In that time she moved from Thames to New Plymouth.

In Taranaki she began working as a rest home nurse but later held down jobs at two separate health providers.

From November 4, 1992, 44 of the certificates were signed off by her general practitioner, Dr Herbert Morrison.

Dr Morrison originally practised in Otara but later moved to Waipu.

Despite living in New Plymouth, Williams travelled to Waipu on numerous occasions to get the certificates.

She complained to ACC that she suffered from constant pain and that she was unable to sleep in comfort.

She said she had trouble washing herself and could not do much housework and had to give up pursuits such as driving, golf, squash and swimming.

A search warrant was issued for Williams' home and was carried out on May 7, 2003.

A number of documents found there contained the different names she had used over the years, including R.M. Williams, R.M.B. Williams, Rosemary Fitzgerald, Rose Williams, Rosina Williams and R.M. Fitzgerald.

Williams had mainly received weekly compensation payments from ACC, although she did manage to get a lump sum payment of $14,760 in May 1992.

She had used three separate IRD numbers.

The Crown summary of facts stated that although she had collected $206,022 of illegal payments from ACC, Williams had also received income and support from Work and Income NZ.

Using a document for pecuniary advantage carries a maximum jail term of seven years.