Tauranga business couple guilty of major ACC fraud

Tauranga couple Grant Brennan and Lorraine Brennan at the Tauranga District Court yesterday. Photo/file

A Tauranga businessman and his wife have been found guilty of fleecing ACC of tens of thousands of dollars.

Grant and Lorraine Brennan, directors of Brennan Racing Ltd, appeared in the Tauranga District Court this morning to hear the verdict following their seven-week judge alone trial.

The couple had denied 88 charges of using a document for pecuniary advantage and maintained they had a honest belief they were entitled to the payments.

Brennan was assaulted by three youths in April 1999 and suffered a head injury, initally diminishing his level of functioning.

The charges relate to the Brennans dishonestly claiming more than $720,000 gross in ACC payments between December 1999 and September 2011.
That included $55,790 of attendant care payments received by Mrs Brennan between 2000 and 2003.

Judge Glen Marshall said today he was convinced of the couple's guilt on all charges.

The court had previously heard evidence how the couple continued to perform "normally and proficiently" after Brennan's injury.

This included Mr Brennan resuming working in the business within a few months of the assault, and also resuming his motor sport racing activities in 2003.

The amount of reparation is still being calculated.

The couple were remanded on bail, pending sentencing early next year, and were ordered to surrender their passports to the Tauranga court registrar.