Former North Coast realtor Daniel Leslie Harris to be sentenced for investment fraud

A former realtor has insisted he never meant to defraud anyone when 27 investors who trusted him without question lost $1.1 million in his bungled investment scheme, a court has heard.

Daniel Harris at the Downing Centre courts. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

A north coast ex-realtor found guilty of ripping 27 people off to the tune of more than $1.1 million through a bungled investment scheme “did not intend to defraud anyone,” a court has heard.

Coffs Harbour man Daniel Leslie Harris was found guilty of 115 counts of fraud at a District Court jury trial after he charmed friends and acquaintances into investing their hard-earned superannuation money into a scheme which ultimately collapsed.

While complex and detailed, the prosecution’s case centred around the fact that in 2008, former realtor Harris “thought up an investment scheme” which involved using participants’ self-managed super funds (SMSF) through a unit trust to invest in property and property development.

The victims were promised they would be property owners and receive an eight per cent return on their investment, but that never happened, and none of them got their investment back in full.

A court has previously heard there is no hope the victims will ever get their money back after it was withdrawn for Harris’ personal use, and for other schemes involving properties elsewhere in NSW.

One of Harris’ victims. Picture: Adam Yip

At Sydney District Court on Friday, Harris’ counsel Todd Pickering told Judge Leonie Flannery Harris still disputed the assertion he had intended to defraud anyone.

“He was in a position of trust and on the finding of a jury that was abused,” Mr Pickering said.

“But there’s an absence of planning, sophistication, organisation … it was a mess, it was chaotic, the paperwork wasn’t kept up to date – it was utterly unsophisticated, utterly chaotic.”

Harris at court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

But the Crown submitted to the court that Harris had shown no remorse for his actions throughout the trial.

“There was no transparency, no annual, quarterly or monthly reports,” the Crown told the court.

“This money was not being invested in property for the victims, it was invested for the benefit of the offender and his companies … it was very sophisticated.”

Mr Pickering submitted to the court that an intensive correction order – where Harris could serve a prison term in the community – would not be out of range for the offences.

Judge Flannery asked the Crown and Mr Pickering to offer written responses to each other’s submissions due to how far apart they remain in the assessment of a suitable sentence for Harris.

The matter has been adjourned for sentence at Sydney District Court on November 17 to permit Judge Flannery additional time to consider her decision.

“You’re not to think you’re not going into custody just because you’re not going today, Mr Harris,” Judge Flannery warned.