Serial fraudster given 21 months jail sentence for contempt
Serial fraudster Matthew Geoffrey Rixon has been sentenced to 21 months jail after being convicted of contempt of court for breaching NSW Supreme Court orders first made in 2013 restraining him from doing residential building work requiring a licence in NSW.
This is the third time Mr Rixon has been convicted for contempt of court in respect of the 2013 orders.
The first conviction was in 2014 where Mr Rixon was sentenced to 18 months jail, which was wholly suspended, with 300 hours community service.
Mr Rixon was again convicted for breaching those orders in 2018 and sentenced to 18 months jail.
This latest conviction handed down by the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday February 23 followed an investigation by NSW Fair Trading in response to consumer complaints.
NSW Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos said serial offenders such as Mr Rixon would be hit with the full force of the law.
“Mr Rixon is a serial offender whose actions have caused significant distress to many consumers,” Ms Petinos said.
“NSW Fair Trading thanks the many people who came forward to share their stories and provide the necessary evidence to secure this conviction.
“This prosecution highlights the importance of consumers checking the credentials of builders and other tradespeople before engaging a contractor for work and serves as a warning for other would-be offenders that they will be caught.”
Mr Rixon, who is also known by aliases Matt Andrews, Matthew Douglas, Matt Ewing, Joseph Geraghty, Scott Mandeville and Matt Rickson, will be eligible for release in August 2023. He has a right to appeal.
He is currently serving a jail sentence, following criminal convictions handed down by the NSW Local Court in December 2021 for other offences.
A licence is required for all specialist work such as electrical, plumbing and air conditioning regardless of the cost. A licence is also required for all other residential building work valued at more than $5,000.
The Home Building Act also prohibits seeking more than 10 per cent of the contract price as a deposit prior to starting works.
To check the licence details of a tradesperson, visit theService NSW Public Register.
NSW Fair Trading is committed to protecting the community through its investigation of alleged breaches of the law and via educational campaigns to inform consumers and businesses of their rights and obligations under the law.
To contact NSW Fair Trading with a complaint, visit the Make a complaint web page or call 13 32 20.