Paul William Abbott, 42, was due to be sentenced in the Dunedin District Court this afternoon on charges, according to the court list, of obtaining by deception, possessing cannabis and a utensil, and possessing methamphetamine and a utensil.
The case was called and there was no appearance by either the defendant or his lawyer, prompting Judge David Robinson to issue a warrant for Abbot’s arrest.
The fraudster made headlines in 2022 when he was locked up for 19 months over a well-rehearsed scam.
One victim detailed how she had met Abbott on a dating website where he had used a false name and a detailed, fictitious backstory.
He presented as easy to talk to, charming and the woman said she found herself falling for him.
The defendant swindled $18,000 out of one woman, $5650 out of another and stole $2725 of tools.
Abbott told a psychologist that money was not his motivator, rather he used online dating to help him with his social anxiety.
The court heard he gave conflicting reports about his drug use - at one point claiming it drove his crimes, at another saying it played no part.
Judge Robinson today noted Abbott had not turned up for his scheduled pre-sentence report meeting with Probation.
