Bogus nurse jailed

Crown prosecutor Andrew Cameron, defence counsel Roger Crowley and Wanganui District Court Judge John Clapham were all reading from the same page yesterday during the sentencing of fraudster and nurse-impersonator, Turori Wheturangi Chapman.
In their submissions, both Mr Cameron and Mr Crowley made strong pleas for Chapman to be given every possible psychiatric and psychological help to break his long record of offending which has invariably involved fraud and the impersonation of authority figures.
And those pleas were repeated and supported by Judge Clapham in sentencing Chapman to two years, three months' jail on 34 charges of fraud and four of impersonating a nurse.
Chapman was charged with the offences last October after handing himself in to Wanganui police. At that time a nationwide search had been mounted by police following complaints of male impersonating a female nurse at Christchurch Hospital.
In court yesterday Mr Cameron referred to Chapman's past record of more than 100 offences including at least six occasions when he had passed himself off as a female police officer.
He said Chapman appeared to have "a serious need" to have a sense of power or authority and achieved that by impersonating authority figures.
It was that aspect of his offending that caused the greatest concern for the public.
Mr Cameron said a term of imprisonment was inevitable but that must be accompanied by "every available psychological assistance" to get the cause of Chapman's offending, break that cycle and lead to a positive outcome for Chapman and the community.
Mr Crowley told the court he agreed with almost all of the Crown prosecutor's submission.
He said Chapman had "a profound disability to make a way for himself in the community". As a result his cycle of offending had become a revolving door to prison.
"He has made prison the place he wants be ? an environment of comfort and hope and that is sad indictment on the prisoner (Chapman)," Mr Crowley said.
"So I am asking the court to direct, in the strongest possible terms every psychological and psychiatric help so (Chapman) can escape this vicious resolving door syndrome."
Judge Clapham said the aggravating features of the offending were the number offences, the fact that Chapman had identified "easy marks" to prey on, the premeditated nature of the offending and his list of previous convictions.
The most unusual feature was the low value of the fraud ? just $5382.17.
And the sentencing of Chapman posed something of dilemma for the court yesterday.
The fraud offences were punishable by imprisonment but the impersonation offences could only attract a fine, albeit up to $10,000 despite being offences that caused considerable public concern.
However, since Chapman had no means to pay a fine and would be jailed for the fraud offences Judge Clapham's only option was to convict and discharge him on the four impersonation matters.
His Honour noted the Crown and defence counsel pleas for help for Chapman and after imposing sentence advised he intended to "add my plea" to the judgement.