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Thursday's Final Word
EXCLUSIVE
An Indigenous man who identifies as a plumber has been found guilty of ripping off customers while working in the building industry without ever holding the necessary licence.
Fake tradie Duanne Hevers has repeatedly failed to face court to answer a swathe of criminal charges, and on Thursday a fed-up magistrate issued an arrest warrant.
Hevers, from Sydney’s western suburbs, was named the Master Plumbers Association of NSW’s Indigenous Apprentice of the Year in 2018.
Five years later, NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Natasha Mann warned consumers: ‘Do not deal with Duanne Hevers.’
Ms Mann revealed in March 2023 that Hevers had been trading without a licence under the business name Fairwater Plumbing.
‘Mr Hevers does not and has not ever held a NSW contractor licence,’ she said.
‘Based on complaints received from consumers, NSW Fair Trading is concerned that Mr Hevers may be seeking to trade without a licence.
‘Consumers have complained that Mr Hevers seeks residential building work for which a licence is required and makes false and misleading statements to obtain money from them.’
An Indigenous man who identifies as a plumber has been found guilty of ripping off customers while fraudulently operating as a tradie without ever having held the necessary licence. Duanne Hevers (above) was found guilty of 24 criminal charges on Thursday
Duanne Hevers was presented with a certificate and Makita cordless drill when he was named the Master Plumbers Association of NSW’s Indigenous Apprentice of the Year in 2018
In NSW, a licence is required for all specialist work such as electrical, plumbing and air conditioning regardless of the cost of the job.
Furthermore, a licence is required for all other residential work valued at more than $5,000.
Hevers was subsequently charged with 25 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, after clients and former bosses went to police.
He was accused of operating without a licence, practising deception by pretending to be employed, and ordering materials using a business account that belonged to a former employer.
He was also accused of failing to complete agreed-upon repairs and providing false and misleading bank details not authorised to by his employer.
The 25-year-old pleaded not guilty to 21 of the charges in July last year but since then has routinely failed to show up for scheduled court appearances.
Hevers was supposed to face a hearing at Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday, defending two charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
Instead, he emailed the court saying he was unable to be present due to pain which required scans and sought an adjournment.
Hevers has repeatedly not turned up to court to answer a swathe of criminal charges and on Thursday a fed-up magistrate issued a warrant for his immediate arrest
That request was denied and the two fraud charges were joined with 22 others listed in the same court the next day – one for mention and 21 for sentence.
Thursday was a big day for Hevers, with appointments at both Parramatta and Hornsby Local Courts.
First, he was due to appear at Hornsby at 9am on one charge of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and one of destroying or damaging property.
The Hornsby matters were adjourned until April 17 after Hevers provided a medical certificate to explain his no-show at court.
Hevers was supposed to make his way across town to Parramatta by 9.30am but dodged that appearance and this time was not given the benefit of the doubt.
Having been told the previous day he would need a medical certificate to explain why he could not meet his commitments, Hevers again came up short.
At 9.43am Hevers sent an email which provided only a recitation of what he had told a doctor about his medical history. That document did not state he was unfit to attend and was not addressed to the court.
At 9.55am Hevers sent another email saying he was going to hospital get scans and requesting another adjournment.
NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Natasha Mann warned consumers in March 2023: ‘Do not deal with Duanne Hevers.’ Hevers is pictured on holiday in the Whitsunday Islands
That was enough mucking around for magistrate Kate Thompson, who found Hevers guilty of 24 charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and issued an arrest warrant.
The Hills police area command later posted a wanted notice for Hevers on its Facebook page with a mugshot and brief description of his crimes.
The post stated Hevers was known to frequent the Westmead, Northmead and Parramatta areas of western Sydney and called on anyone who saw the fugitive to call Crime Stoppers.
Some of Hevers’s victims told Fair Trading the fake plumber chased residential building work which required a licence and then made ‘false and misleading statements to obtain money from them’.
Text messages obtained by Daily Mail Australia showed Hevers hassling a former client for money over a period of several months.
‘I’ve asked you multiple times to get my personal belongings and to finalise my pay… If it’s not sorted out by 8pm I’ll be taking further action,’ one text read.
‘Hi mate usually I wouldn’t do this and I do apologise for any inconienience but for monday I have to order in some gear for the concrete slabs and stuff is there any chance you can please pay/ transfer $950 asap so I can continue the work,’ he wrote in another.
A message to the same customer requested funds for a purported order of tanks and pumps.
Text messages obtained by Daily Mail Australia showed Hevers (above) hassling a former client for money over a period of several months
‘Will have to get you to make a bank transfer deposit of $980 if possible asap just to cover the material cost would be much appreciated thanks a lot and we will see you tomorrow,’ Hevers wrote.
Hevers’s former bosses made a raft of allegations against him, with some claiming they and their customers were tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.
Daily Mail Australia previously approached Hevers for comment with detailed questions, but did not receive a response.
