Auckland roofing scammer jailed for offences causing $1m+ losses

Sam Oliver Spence has been sentenced in the Auckland District Court in front of Judge David Sharp on a number of charges. Photo / TVNZ

An Auckland roofing contractor has been jailed for five years and six months after charges involving more than $1 million brought by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Sam Oliver Spence was today sentenced in the Auckland District Court in front of Judge David Sharp on a number of charges.

He faced Companies Act and Insolvency Act charges for the fraudulent way he managed a series of roofing companies trading around Auckland under the trade name Compass Roofing.

The losses to creditors were over $1m.

This was also the first sentencing under section 138A of the Companies Act, which is the new offence of serious breach of a director's duties.

Spence faced charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and forgery.

Documents obtained by the Herald showed a long list of charges: two of a serious breach of a director's duties, two charges of taking part in the management of a phoenix company, a charge of being a director of a phoenix company, failing to file a statement of affairs, misleading the official assignee, two charges of failing to comply with notice, two charges of taking part in the management of a phoenix company while bankrupt, attempting to pervert the course of justice and using forged documents.

He was not sentenced on all charges today.

The charges against the Companies Act 1993 and Insolvency Act 2006 arose out of the fraudulent way he managed a number of roofing companies, variously trading under the name Compass Roofing.

That business traded predominantly in the Auckland region.

The attempt to pervert the course of justice and forgery arose during the proceedings for the other charges, when Spence filed forged documents with the court.