A warrant has been issued for the arrest of corporate rogue Stephen Larkin after the 76-year-old failed to turn up to court to face 170 traffic charges.
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The convicted fraudster and former BRW rich-lister was meant to be in court on Monday to face dozens of speeding charges, driving in a bus lane, failing to pay tolls and driving an unregistered and uninsured car.
The former veterinary surgeon was also being prosecuted for 62 criminal charges of knowingly giving false information by nominating a former Kings Cross bouncer as the driver of the car when the traffic offences were committed.
But instead of turning up to the Downing Centre Local Court for a three-day hearing, Larkin presented himself at St Vincent's Hospital in Darlinghurst where he claimed to be suffering from an unspecified neurological ailment.
On Tuesday the hospital informed Magistrate William Pierce that Larkin had "absconded" from the hospital before any tests could be undertaken.
He was convicted in his absence and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The court heard that to avoid paying the multitude of fines, which were incurred between October 2014 and December 2015, Larkin signed statutory declarations claiming the habitual offender was Michael Geoffrey Oliver.
The court heard that Mr Oliver, 70, is suffering dementia as a result of multiple head injuries and alcohol abuse, and does not have a driver's licence.
Each of the 62 criminal charges for which Larkin nominated Mr Oliver attracts a penalty of two years' jail, but the maximum sentence the local court can impose is five years.
In 2007 Larkin was sentenced to 16 months' weekend detention after pleading guilty to defrauding the former Macquarie Bank director Bill Moss of $38,050. He was also convicted of giving false evidence under oath.
In 2004 the NSW Supreme Court banned Larkin and his son Jordan from operating a finance broking business for 20 years and 10 years respectively. The Larkins had offered to find loans for desperate people but instead had pocketed their establishment fees.
Meanwhile, Fairfax Media has revealed the twice bankrupted Larkin has been busy defrauding people of funds by turning up at court and claiming he is owed money.
Despite having no documentation or concrete evidence the court has awarded judgment to Larkin who has then gone on to have the money removed from the bank accounts of a string of victims.
In February this year Colleen and Colin Vickers were shocked to discover $15,234 had gone from the bank account of their auction house.
In December property developer Tony Merhi received a letter from Westpac advising that Larkin had been given a bank cheque for $59,234 following a garnishee order signed by the Waverley Local Court.
Another victim is fellow vet Ron Lloyd, who also had his bank account garnisheed. The pair had known each other for 30 years.
"I thought he was a friend and look what he did to me," Dr Lloyd said.
In July his latest victim, a doctor, discovered in the nick of time that the court had awarded judgment against him for what Larkin fraudulently claimed was an unpaid consultancy fee of $60,000.
Larkin was in the process of garnisheeing the doctor's bank accounts for the amount when the doctor was alerted to the fraud.
