A Queenstown cameraman who falsely claimed more than $1.1 million in business expenses had been on the run for 14 months, a court heard.
The man claimed to be in hospital on his sentencing date last year and, after an warrant was issued, was "hiding in plain sight" until his arrest in September.
Damon Anthony Forde, 52, was sentenced in the Invercargill District Court last week for filing false GST returns between 2013 and 2018.
The court heard he unlawfully gained $124,990.69 in GST refunds, leading to 28 charges of dishonestly using a document for pecuniary advantage.
Forde was the sole director and shareholder of camera-operating business Live24 and filmed freelance content for TVNZ and Mediaworks, among others.
Forde filed 28 returns over five years between 2013 and 2018, claiming a total of $1,152,440.98 in purchases and expenses, the Crown summary said.
However, there was no evidence in Live24 bank statements of $1.1m being paid, nor any vehicles or offices rented in the company name.
The defendant knew the returns were false, the summary said.
He also received a Work and Income benefit between 2015 and 2016 and then no benefits or wages until 2019.
He was not in a position to finance a business that supposedly had a $1.1m outflow, the Crown said.
Judge Russell Walker said Forde had a previous history of dishonesty, and was sentenced for defrauding the Ministry of Social Development in 2018.
The judge noted Forde was on a sentence of community work for those charges during the GST offending and still owed $7157.55 in reparation.
He was originally due to be sentenced for the GST fraud in March last year, but did not attend, claiming he was in hospital awaiting surgery. In May, he again did not appear, telling the court he was in hospital with a heart condition.
After failing to appear in July, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Two former counsel sought leave to withdraw during this time, citing a lack of instructions.
The defendant was not arrested until September 2025, but said he was unaware of the warrant and was not trying to evade arrest.
Counsel Bryony Shackell said in the seven years since the offending, her client had stayed out of trouble.
The judge said he saw no realistic outcome other than imprisonment and
sentenced Forde to 32 months’ in prison.
