Mortgage broker avoids jail over $160,000 rip-off

A Christchurch mortgage broker who admitted ripping off a client to the tune of $160,000 has avoided a jail sentence.

In Christchurch District Court today Darren Ian Askew pleaded guilty to three charges of theft by a person in a special relationship, three of dishonestly using a document, and one of forgery.

Judge Colin Doherty sentenced him to nine month home detention, 200 hours of community work and ordered him to pay reparation of $50,000 on top of the $30,000 he had already paid, the Christchurchurch Court News website reported.

The judge ordered that Askew, who now works for a construction company, repay the money at $50 a week.

But he pointed out that in light of the Christchurch earthquake damage he may be able to up the payments and ordered the arrangements be reviewed in a few months.

The court was told that Askew's offending took place over a few months in 2005 when he had been stung in a property development failure and was going through what the judge called "marital stress".

"That seems to have led you to taking the easy road and using someone else's money," he said.

The money was used to maintain the standard of living for him and his family. He has four children.

Defence counsel Simon Shamy said the pre-sentence report described the offending as an aberration at a time when Askew was in financial difficulties.