Jail term for conman who targeted vulnerable women
A serial conman who has deceived and thieved from numerous women, including one from Taranaki, has been sent to jail.
Paul William Abbott, 39, was sentenced to 19 months’ prison, when he appeared in the Invercargill District Court on Tuesday. He was not given leave to apply for home detention.
Abbott earlier admitted a causing loss by deception charge against the Taranaki woman in 2021, who he defrauded for $18,000, and causing loss by deception over $1000 and theft over $1000 against a Southland woman in 2020.
Abbott met the victims on Tinder and Bumble, using the names Luke Raymond Nicholls and Lucas Tanner Macallister, court documents show.
The Southland woman had sought $8825 in reparations, and in court she read a victim impact statement.
‘‘The sad thing is I thought Paul and I had something special but in reality, he was repeating a formula he had used on many victims before me,’’ the woman said in court.
Abbott took money from the woman for various incidents he claimed were to do with car maintenance, it says in the summary of facts. He also claimed to have paid a $200,000 fine from Environment Southland, and requested a loan for a vehicle ‘‘get back on his feet’’, the summary says.
The victim hand-wrote a contract with repayment terms. Abbott signed it using his false identity and the victim provided him $4800, though police were unable to determine whether Abbott bought a vehicle.
Abbott later stole tools and a speaker from the woman’s house, and removed the contract.
‘‘I struggle to trust people, where I used to be kind and generous to others I have nothing left to give the world, I have withdrawn and am more antisocial,’’ she said in court.
Abbott then took money from the Taranaki woman, when he asked for an $8000 loan for a digger and truck business in July 2021, and then $10,000 cash in August for a ute for the business.
That offence was ‘‘markedly similar’’ to the Southland offending, Judge David Robinson said. ‘‘This is merely a continuation of previous offending.’’
A pre-sentence report writer said Abbott had personal matters, which would not be discussed in open court, that seemed to suggest posttraumatic stress disorder, the judge said.
Abbott had also claimed the offending was driven by drug use, and then said he had gone on the dating sites to overcome social anxiety, the judge said.
Abbott had minimised his culpability to the report writer, the judge said. ‘‘There has been victim blaming... he suggests this is really the fault of the victims.’’
Media photographing Abbott in court on Tuesday would have a preventative and deterrent effect, the judge said. ‘‘There is really no inclination from you to engage in therapy that would help you change your ways,’’ he said.
The total prison sentence was discounted for Abbott’s guilty pleas and background.
Abbott would repay 20% of the $18,000 and $8825 he took from the women.
Abbott was sentenced to two years and seven months’ jail in Christchurch in 2012, for similar offending against six women in which he took $24,323.
Abbott conned two women out of more than $1500 and was jailed for nine months at the Christchurch District Court in 2016.
He told one of the women he needed money to pay for medication for a brain tumour.