Convicted online fraudster Paul William Abbott has been warned after avoiding his obligations to get a pre-sentence report prepared by the Probation Service.
His latest two victims had travelled to the Christchurch District Court to see him sentenced because they wanted to read their victim impact statements in court.
Instead, they saw him further remanded on bail by Judge Christina Cook for sentencing on October 21.
Abbott has a history of deceiving people he contacts online and has served a two year seven month jail term imposed for that type of offending in 2012.
The 33-year-old pleaded guilty in June to charges of obtaining money by deception from two women he met on an internet dating site. He had told one that he needed money to pay for medication for a brain tumour, and told the other he needed funds for truck repairs and to contribute to the family of his best friend who had died of blood poisoning.
The money was spent on his drugs habit.
At his sentencing today, the Probation Service told of Abbott failing to keep an appointment for a pre-sentence report interview, and yelling at a probation duty officer during a phone call. Judge Cook said he had repeatedly avoided his obligations.
Defence counsel David Stringer said Abbott did not agree with everything in the Probation Service’s memorandum to the court. He had made contact during the remand with the Community Alcohol and Drug Service in Ashburton, where he lives. He was “willing and motivated to address that problem”.
Judge Cook said the sentencing judge would need the information before sentencing and remanded Abbott for the report to be prepared. She apologised to the victims for the delay.
She granted bail but made it a bail condition that if Abbott did not comply with the Probation Service’s arrangement he could be remanded in custody.
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