ACC Media release

4 October 2012

Husband and wife convicted together for defrauding ACC

Marriage means doing many things together and for Southland couple Carl Adam Rutherford and his wife Haley Ann Rutherford that extended to defrauding ACC.

Both dairy farm workers from Tussock Creek, they were convicted and sentenced in the Invercargill District Court on Tuesday, 2 October 2012.

Each pleaded guilty to three charges of obtaining by deception under the Crimes Act 1961.

As well as being sentenced to 100 hours of community work each, Carl Rutherford was ordered by Judge Moran to pay full reparation of $8,188.19, while Haley Rutherford was ordered to pay full reparation of $7,683.86.

The couple began receiving weekly compensation from ACC after separate accidents. Carl Rutherford was injured in a farm bike accident in 2002, and Haley Rutherford injured her knee in 2002.

Both went on to work in a variety of jobs while receiving weekly compensation, despite signing declarations stating that they were not in work or receiving income that could affect their entitlement to the compensation they were receiving.

Carl Rutherford also gave one employer an Inland Revenue tax declaration form containing his wife’s name and IRD details.

ACC investigators subsequently began an investigation of Haley Rutherford’s situation, and this led to the detection of Carl Rutherford's offending against ACC.

ACC’s General Manager of Claims Management, Denise Cosgrove, says this was a disappointing example of deliberate offending, as the couple worked for various different employers while continuing to claim ACC's help.

“I'm sure that like me, most New Zealanders feel a sense of repugnance at this type of offending. ACC exists to help people with genuine injury-related needs, and it's disappointing to see some people use it deceitfully for their own financial gain.”

Ms Cosgrove adds that fortunately, ACC has a dedicated Investigations Unit, so her message to potential fraudsters contemplating following in the Rutherford's footsteps is to "think twice, as there's a good chance you'll be caught".

-ENDS-

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