An Auckland man who issued 183 fake WoFs has been sentenced to six months' community detention and 40 hours community work (file image). Photo: Christine Rush / RNZ
A vehicle inspector who issued 183 fake warrants of fitness certificates within the space of a few months has been sentenced.
Dylan Mark Walker was investigated and prosecuted by the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi for dishonestly accessing the Motor Vehicle Register.
The Auckland man signed off on 183 vehicles between September 2021 and February 2022, without any of them actually being presented at his employer's garage for inspection.
He pleaded guilty in the North Shore District Court, and has been sentenced to six months' community detention and 40 hours community work.
District Court Judge Anna Fitzgibbon said there was widespread, premeditated offending and the possibility of community harm, because the cars might have been unsafe and the drivers unaware. She also considered Walker breached his employer's and the drivers' trust. The sentence was discounted from a starting point of 20 months' imprisonment, for his guilty plea and remorse.
The Transport Agency (NZTA) suspended and later revoked Walker's inspector appointment during the initial investigation. The fake warrants were cancelled and the cars' owners told to reapply.
NZTA safer vehicles senior manager Nicole Botherway said the organisation would protect the integrity of the vehicle inspection system and take action against fraudulent behaviour.
"The New Zealand public needs to have confidence that they can rely on the WoF system to ensure that the vehicles on our roads are safe and compliant."