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A man fought back tears as he told how his dead child's identity had been stolen twice by fraudsters - as the latest offender was sentenced in Auckland District Court.
Brian Thrussell's first son, Phillip Evan Thrussell, was one of seven dead children whose identities brothers Romney Lavea
and Al Harrington Lavea used to obtain passports.
Boxer David Tua was in the public gallery at the court yesterday. It was believed he was there to support someone involved in the case.
Morbidly obese Romney Lavea - who is so fat he cannot touch his feet, walks with crutches and has various other medical problems - made headlines last year when he was put in jail on different charges, but argued through his lawyer that he was not getting proper care and should be on home detention.
Outside the court yesterday, Mr Thrussell told how upsetting it was to have his late son's identity used in a forgery.
Mr Thrussell said it was the second time the family had to cope with such a crime, as Phillip's identity had also been used years earlier by a man to wrongly claim a benefit.
The 73-year-old, who asked the court not to suppress his child's name, said his wife Maxine died aged 66 just months after hearing of the latest deception in 2005 and he blamed her passing on the crime.
"The first time, someone in Otorohanga got his birth certificate and kindly went on the dole for three years for him," said Mr Thrussell, of Hastings. "That really upset my wife. And the second time, it killed her."
He called for the Government to tighten up records.
"When someone applies for a passport, the database picks up, 'Sorry mate, he's dead. He doesn't need one'."
He said Phillip lived for just 26 hours after he sustained an injury to his head while being born in 1960.
"The doctor said after the autopsy it was good he did die because his brain was - with the pressure of the blood - it was just not right," said Mr Thrussell. "And he said, 'Go out and try again', and we did - twice. Both worked."
Both Lavea brothers pleaded guilty to seven charges of forgery and seven charges of uttering a forged document relating to offending between December 1996 and November 1997.
The summary of facts showed a third man, Simon Mosely, a co-offender and an associate of Romney Lavea's at Onehunga immigration consultancy Leaney Travel, had not been charged and was living overseas.
Al Harrington Lavea, 43, a community adviser of Papatoetoe, was sentenced to six months' home detention and is to pay $5000 in reparation for emotional harm.
Romney Lavea, 39, an immigration consultant of Mangere, was sentenced to two years in prison.
Judge Elizabeth Aitken said during sentencing that prison authorities had indicated they could meet Romney Lavea's needs in jail and there was no evidence that the man's life would be at risk or his health would deteriorate in prison.
