Blackburn salesman Simon Harland avoids jail for obtain financial advantage by deception guilty plea

A Blackburn salesman’s ship came in after the serial swindler avoided a jail stint for an $111,000 powerboat scam.

Simon Harland pleaded guilty to obtain a financial advantage by deception. Facebook.

A scoundrel Blackburn salesman who committed a $111,000 fraud has avoided a jail term.

Simon Harland, 59, was sentenced in the County Court on Thursday to a two-year community correction order after pleading guilty to obtain a financial advantage by deception.

Harland falsified a finance application to purchase a $125,000 Four Winns powerboat and trailer for his fledgling parasailing company.

The court heard Harland borrowed $15,000 to inject into his business and lay-down a deposit for the boat.

Harland also borrowed cash which he used to buy his son a car, the court was told.

Harland purchased the boat from JV Marine Braeside in September 2016 before it was delivered to his Blackburn home.

The serial swindler sealed the deal with a bogus email address and false employment details.

Harland also altered an ANZ home loan statement from $667,850 to $167,850 to secure the $111,000 finance deal.

Harland’s fraud unravelled in February 2017.

Police arrested Harland, a bankrupt serial conman with criminal priors, in February 2019.

Harland admitted to police he entered a contract to purchase the boat.

“Well (I) had discussions...  about refinancing for a new boat...,” Harland told investigators.

“I made those signatures.., I did the signatures but I did it on … on authorisation of... conversations and said I’ll sign it...

The court heard Harland came up with the “stupid grandiose idea” because he wanted to buy a boat for his children.

Harland, a former gym instructor who currently works a salesman, was heavily involved in his children's sporting hobbies including their basketball.

Harland’s children both attended US colleges on basketball scholarships, the court was told

The court heard Harland, who bizarrely held the trademark name of basketball development factory the Nunawading Spectres, has criminal priors for fraud including selling bogus gym memberships.

Harland was also bankrupt and unable to receive a credit card or a line of credit during the offending period, the court was told.

Philip Dunn QC, for Harland, reiterated his client’s “stupid and grandiose” idea to be “best father” to his children and get them the boat.

However, Judge Sandra Davis highlighted Harland’s deceptive past.

“This a gentleman who has priors for deception offences,” Judge Davis said.

“So he’s either been stupid and grandiose for a very a long time or else he’s taken advantage of the situations and breach trust of a number of occasions and the offending is what it were being minimised I don’t think that’s a description which gives it much credit.”

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