Ricky Wilson/Stuff
A woman claimed insurance for a car she reported stolen but which was instead buried outside Wakefield. (File photo)
Fearing she wouldn’t be able to claim for her damaged car, a woman had it buried, reported it stolen and then claimed $24,000 insurance.
On Tuesday, Amanda Coltman, 47, was sentenced in Nelson District Court, having pleaded guilty to a charge of obtaining by deception.
The police summary of facts, referenced by Judge Tony Zohrab, said the chain of events that led to the offending began in January 2022.
It was early in the morning, and Coltman and her associate, who was at the wheel, were driving to Nelson from Blenheim.
The driver, who had been drinking, crashed the car. It was badly damaged, but the pair managed to get it back to Coltman’s address.
Coltman feared that because the driver did not have her full licence, she would not be able to claim insurance for the damage.
She contacted an associate, asking if they knew of anyone who could dispose of the car. Later, she dropped the car outside the associate’s house.
Months later, she reported the car stolen.
When Coltman contacted her insurer, AA Insurance, she requested to increase the amount she’d insured the car for.
“Somewhat surprisingly”, AA agreed to this, Judge Zohrab said. The insurance provider paid $24,325 into Coltman’s account, less excess and registration.
When police followed up on information they’d received, they found the car buried at an address outside Wakefield. It had been stripped for parts, and only the shell remained.
Coltman told police she had panicked and made a “stupid decision”,
Coltman’s lawyer, Alan Heward, said his client had never appeared before the court before, and her offending was “out of character”.
She was willing to make repayments at $50 per fortnight, and had attempted to repay $8000 to the insurance company, but believed it had bounced back, due to not being coded correctly, Heward said.
Judge Zohrab said Coltman’s behaviour was “foolish conduct” and agreed it was “very much out of character”.
As well as paying $25,985 reparation, the judge ordered her to complete 180 hours of community work.
“There needs to be a punishment; we can’t have people routinely disposing of cars this way and claiming insurance: everyone’s premiums would skyrocket.”
