Fraudster handyman blew $60k on gambling and massages

An “accomplished fraudster”, whose rip-offs scored him $114,000, has been given a firm ultimatum by a Dunedin judge – show me the money. 

Andrew Trevor Hill, a North Island handyman left a string of unfinished jobs and disgruntled clients and blew the cash on gambling, massages and cryptocurrency, the Dunedin District Court heard yesterday. 

The 50-year-old was due to be sentenced after earlier pleading guilty to obtaining by deception and charges under the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act. 

Judge Nevin Dawson, though, adjourned the hearing because police had not filed submissions; and he was far from impressed by the defendant’s efforts to repay his victims. 

Counsel Philip Ross said Hill could come up with $1000 – less than 1% of what he owed – by the following day. 

“This is a court of evidence . . . Where’s the evidence of this mythical $1000?” Judge Dawson said. 

“Mr Hill is an accomplished conman. This is not the first time.” 

The judge, who noted the defendant also had fraud convictions from Australia, was equally scathing of claims the man had a new job. 

Over the coming months, Hill needed to come up with a “substantial” sum of cash towards repaying his victim. 

Even so, he may be locked up for his crimes at sentencing in August, Judge Dawson said. 

Court documents said Hill was trading as Andrew Till Fencing, based in Gisborne, and between July and September, he took on jobs for 14 clients around the region. 

He had no intention of completing the work, a police summary said. 

During the three-month period, Hill received a whopping $352,144 in payments from clients, making a benefit of $114,348. 

Over that timeframe, he withdrew more than $38,000 in cash, splashed out $60,000 on gambling, massages and cryptocurrency and transferred $75,000 to his personal account, the court heard. 

His crimes, which were detailed in a lengthy summary, followed a simple pattern. 

Hill would receive payment from a client, sometimes begin the work, and then cut contact with the victim. 

In July 2024, he agreed to complete concrete and fencing work at one woman’s Mahia property, then spent two days on a digger, clearing trees, never to return. 

The following month, a man in Wairoa paid the defendant nearly $25,000 for a carport, concrete driveway and decking. 

Hiil spent one day on site, breaking up the old concrete, then stopped responding to the victim’s messages. 

There were some jobs where he simply took the money and never showed up. 

The court heard Hill, posing as an authorised tradesman, also took on a $3000 contract for laying stormwater piping at a Gisborne home. 

Just weeks after he was finished, the homeowner noticed her property flooded every time it rained, and complained to the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board. 

Hill had never held a practising licence to perform such restricted drainlaying work, nor had the two employees who assisted him. 

Mr Ross told the court his client’s previous scams had been driven by drug addiction but that was not the case here. 

He indicated he would be arguing for an electronically monitored sentence in August. 

Judge Dawson was surprised Hill had even been granted bail. 

“My biggest concern is he’s going to do exactly the same to a lot of innocent people and rob Peter to pay Paul,” he said.