An ex-AFL player is facing trial accused of ripping off six families who paid him to install pools, leaving some with giant holes in their backyard.
Prosecutors allege Nick Stevens, who played for Carlton and Port Adelaide, deceived six families in Mildura, regional Victoria, into paying a total of $171,000 for swimming pools to be installed.
However, Stevens did not install their pools legally, either leaving them with cracked pools or failing to install a pool at all and instead leaving them with "giant holes in their backyards", prosecutors say.
He is now charged with 18 offences including theft, obtaining financial advantage by deception and using a false document.
Stevens has pleaded not guilty to all offences, with a jury empanelled this week before his trial openings began in Melbourne's County Court on Tuesday.
The 46-year-old, who retired in 2009, had been running a landscaping business and decided to start selling pools in 2017, prosecutor Toni Stokes said.
She told the court Stevens became a Leisure Pools Australia dealer for Mildura, which gave him access to a global pool manufacturer with sophisticated marketing and branding.
He was responsible for obtaining his own contracts, installing the pools, maintaining licences, registrations, permits, insurance, and had to abide by industry codes and regulations.
Ms Stokes said Stevens installed six legally compliant pools with permits under the supervision of a registered builder, using their builder's registration licence.
But Stevens had to pay the builder for this, so he decided to go out on his own despite being unlicensed and not a registered builder, which meant he could not obtain the required council permits, nor insurance.
She said Stevens knew this but continued to falsely represent that he could install legally compliant pools for customers.
On six occasions, she alleged this did not happen and Stevens instead pocketed the money he was paid.
Stevens is accused of using Leisure Pools' letterhead for quotes, handing out brochures and engaging with clients about their pool designs.
Ms Stokes said his victims' initial excitement turned to broken promises, endless delays, excuses, "shock and frustration" at being left with a cracked pool or a big hole in the ground.
She said he refunded $28,000 to one family and $10,000 to another, but the rest were not repaid.
About 20 witnesses will give evidence to the jury, including the victims of his alleged fraud, Leisure Pools staff and building professionals, she said.
Stevens' barrister Jim Stavris said his client was innocent until proven guilty as he urged jurors to listen carefully to the evidence, including that Stevens had refunded money to two of his alleged victims.
"That is proof of Mr Stevens' intention, because if somebody intends to defraud someone, deceive someone, they don't give money back," he said.
The trial before Judge Fiona Todd continues.
