A respected Dunedin professional has pleaded guilty to insurance fraud but will fight to avoid a conviction.
The woman’s name and occupation was suppressed, without opposition from the police, when she appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday before Judge Emma Smith.
Her employer, also represented in court by legal counsel, had its name suppressed, too.
The defendant pleaded guilty to two charges of altering a document with intent to defraud, netting her an insurance payout of only $638, but potentially having dire consequences for her career.
No convictions were entered as counsel Anne Stevens, KC, indicated she would argue for a discharge without conviction at sentencing in November.
Court documents noted the defendant filled out an insurance-claim form in October 2022, submitting a dental invoice for a porcelain crown valued at $1258.
But when the insurance company contacted the dentist, they discovered the woman had never received such treatment and had only had an examination and X-ray, costing $128.
Four months later, she was at it again.
This time the defendant lodged a claim for $359, supposedly for an eye examination and new frames from a Dunedin optician.
Once again though, the insurance company’s inquiries proved the claim to be fraudulent.
The woman had been there for a check-up, but she had never bought the new glasses as the invoice suggested.
As a result, the defendant received $638 from the insurance company, a sum she had since repaid, the court heard.
When confronted by police, she said she had "made a stupid mistake due to feeling financial pressure and declining mental health".
The defendant had no previous convictions and was remanded without bail conditions until sentencing.
