Fake medical certificate lands Rotorua man Steven Vili in jail

Rotorua courthouse. Photo / File

A man who tried to "outsmart" the court will spend 16-and-a-half months in jail.

Rotorua man Steven Vili faked a medical certificate saying he was in hospital and got his mother to take it to police, when he breached bail.

This afternoon Judge Maree MacKenzie told the Rotorua District Court Vili's case "directly strikes at the heart of the administration of justice".

"I regard this as a significant attack... it was never a very good plan," she said.

"It was premeditated because you went to quite some effort to doctor, if I might put it that way, a medical certificate."

At 9pm on February 14 police conducted a bail check at his house.

However, police could not find him and entered a breach on Vili's curfew conditions.

On February 18, Vili arranged for his mother to provide a purported medical certificate to the Rotorua police station relating to his breach of bail.

The certificate had Lakes District Health Board letterhead and was a template with blank areas for dates and details, signed by Holy Watson.

It included Vili's name and address and stated he was admitted to Rotorua Hospital for a medical condition on February 14 and that he was discharged the following day.

Rotorua Hospital. Photo / File

The summary said police were suspicious and conducted checks at the hospital.
Staff confirmed they didn't employ a Holy Watson and they had no record of Vili being admitted to hospital.

This afternoon Vili was cleanshaven and appeared in a black long-sleeve shirt and board shorts.

Judge MacKenzie said he "showed little remorse".

"This was an action by you which was deliberate, which you clearly planned... you wanted to outsmart the court and not be remanded in custody."

She said by enlisting the help of his mother he drew her into his "web of deception".

Vili family waved to him briefly as he left the court.

He will serve concurrent sentences for burglary, assaulting a female, unlawfully possessing offensive weapons (a tomahawk and hammer) and possessing a meth pipe.

He was convicted and discharged for a charge of failing to appear in court.

Vili pleaded guilty to all offences in September.