Policeman accused of fraud

A Gore police officer is on trial for allegedly organising the destruction of his 2001 Holden Commodore two years ago so he could claim the insurance.

Alastair James Brown (35) denies committing insurance fraud by dishonestly using an AMI vehicle theft claim form on January 26, 2009, for monetary gain.

The Crown says Brown told a father and son he needed his car to go "missing" as he could not afford to pay for it and that Brown was responsible for the vehicle being taken to Waipori Falls, where it was crashed into trees, all the windows and panels smashed or damaged with a sledge hammer and the ignition broken from the steering column.

Brown bought the car from Cooke Howlison Holden in August 2005 for $25,000, with no deposit and no trade-in, Crown solicitor Robin Bates told a district court jury in Dunedin yesterday.

The full amount of the purchase was financed over five years, with weekly payments of just under $140.

There had been some missed payments and, about November 2008, Brown approached Cook Howlison about re-financing.

That suggested Brown was not in a position to pay, Mr Bates said.

Because the contract had been for the maximum period of five years, the application was declined.

On January 24, 2009, Brown called AMI indicating his car had been stolen and recovered in a damaged condition.

Two days later, he put in a claim to AMI, stating he had parked the car in Meadow St, Mornington, while he was at the Mornington Tavern.

He said he left his keys with bar staff as he was not intending to drive to the address he was staying at in Dunedin.

But when he went to collect the car the next day, it had gone.

There were only two sets of keys for the vehicle.

One was at his home in Gore, the other at the tavern.

An insurance investigator asked to look into the circumstances of the theft and the subsequent insurance claim concluded the claim was not legitimate.

Christopher Begg, a self-employed security expert with a special interest in the investigation of falsified burglary claims and car thefts, said his experience was that, in the majority of cases of cars being burnt out or extensively damaged, the owner was responsible.

"What thief with the skills to steal a late model Holden Commodore would then destroy it? It makes no sense," Mr Begg said.

He had inspected the locks and ignition of the damaged Holden Commodore.

While there was extensive damage, the locking mechanisms themselves appeared undamaged.

Mr Begg said he believed the ignition lock had been broken off the steering column to give the impression the car had been stolen.

But there was no point breaking off the ignition lock unless the car's computer was changed, he said.

Because of the in-built computer, it was not possible to "hot wire" post-1999 vehicles, Mr Begg told the court.

In his opinion, the Commodore would have been stolen using the correct key.

General Motors accepted that, if a key with the correct blade and an incorrect chip was used to turn on the ignition and left there, the car would start after two hours.

But if the car was driven and the ignition turned off, it would take another two hours before a key without the correct chip would start the motor.

Mr Begg agreed with defence counsel Max Winders that, because of the Commodore's age, there was no way of telling which key had opened and started the car.

Brown's trial, before Judge Paul Kellar and a jury, continues today.

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