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A Newcastle magistrate has fined an unlicensed builder tens of thousands of dollars and ordered him to pay his victims compensation, saying the community needs to be protected from people like him.
27-year-old Matthew Rixon was expressionless at Newcastle Local Court today as charges of misleading homeowners into paying for substandard fencing and renovating work at properties across the Hunter Valley were read out against him.
Rixon's initial 37 charges were reduced to 29 after making a plea deal, but magistrate Ian Cheetham said his actions were deceptive and he would have brought embarrassment and shame upon his victims.
He said some of them were vulnerable, including an 82-year-old pensioner.
In sentencing, Magistrate Cheetham said Rixon must be held accountable for his actions but the law prevented him from send him to jail because they were fine-only offences.
Rixon's defence had argued previously he was already bankrupt and owed more than $400,000 to creditors, as well as a further $19,000 to the Office of Fair Trading, but Magistrate Cheetham said despite his precarious financial situation, he must be punished.
He fined Rixon $72,500 and ordered him to pay more than $6000 in compensation to his victims.
Topics: courts-and-trials, newcastle-2300, muswellbrook-2333
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