Serial fraudster Stephen Larkin's elaborate trail of deception

Once one of the richest men in the country, the twice-bankrupt Larkin, has spent much of his adult life using the justice system to threaten, abuse and cheat anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path.

At 76 the former vet-turned corporate rogue is trying to avoid another stint behind bars after he was convicted in absentia for more than 100 driving offences and 62 criminal charges where he falsely nominated a friend with dementia as the driver.

On Thursday he tried to have the driving charges annulled claiming he had been too ill to attend court earlier this month. He told the court he had a history of strokes and a recent diagnosis of Alzheimer's.

Meanwhile, the convicted fraudster has been busy executing a sophisticated series of frauds against friends, acquaintances, even his former doctor, by going to either Waverley or Downing Centre Local Court and claiming he is owed money.

Despite having no documentation or concrete evidence concerning the supposed debts, the courts have awarded judgments to Larkin who has then been allowed to remove funds from his victims' bank accounts.

"He has hoodwinked the judicial system … and used the local court as his ATM," said endocrinologist Steve Thornley, from whom Larkin tried to take $66,000.

Dr Thornley, who treated Larkin several years ago, is furious that the courts have repeatedly granted judgment in favour of Larkin, who has a fraud conviction.

In 2007 Larkin was sentenced to 16 months' weekend detention after pleading guilty to defrauding his one-time business partner, the former Macquarie Bank director Bill Moss.

That same year he was sentenced to 18 months jail after he was caught out lying under oath. On appeal he claimed that he had given false answers because he was suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Although this claim was rejected, his jail term was reduced to a good behaviour bond.

On Friday, Larkin did not attend Waverley Court where his former friend Andrew Strauss was successful in having a claim against him dismissed. Larkin had twice obtained judgment against Mr Strauss for unpaid "consultancy" fees. The first attempt was for $57,000, the second for $60,000.

In July, his latest victim, Dr George Fromberg, 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.

This week Dr Fromberg had the judgment against him overturned. Like the others, Dr Fromberg has spent thousands of dollars in legal fees which Larkin is unlikely to repay.

Not so lucky were Colleen and Colin Vickers. In February this year they 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.

Last year Larkin got a $19,000 judgment against Giovanna Fragomeli and her partner Advo Tabakovic, from OzBid Auctions. Their account had only $1,495, which Larkin took. Earlier this year he had another go – this time for $30,000. Luckily, the account was empty.

Another victim is fellow vet Dr 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," said Dr Lloyd.

Larkin has a long history of bad dealings. In the early 1980s property development had made one of the richest men in the country and he owned a string of eastern suburbs pubs such as The Burdekin and The Exchange.

With a lazy couple of million he snapped up the house next door to his Vaucluse mansion so he could put in a decent tennis court. Between the auction and settlement, the house burnt down. Accusations flew back and forth, the police were called, but no charges were ever laid.

The neighbours had to take legal action to force Larkin to pay up.

Larkin then began a Supreme Court action against the same neighbours, alleging he had been injured when struck on the head by a tile from their roof.

He claimed to have suffered lacerations, headaches, faulty periphery vision, shock, difficulty in sleeping and lethargy. He later discontinued the case.

He also refused to pay for a farm he bought near Wisemans Ferry. In the subsequent court battle, which he yet again lost, Justice Needham said of him: "I should say the defendant, in my opinion, was a witness not worthy of belief in the absence of credible supporting evidence. His evidence is littered with inconsistencies, even, at times, denying that he had given certain answers when he had."

Nor did he endear himself to the neighbours. When their cattle wandered onto his farm, Larkin demanded he keep a certain amount of them as compensation for the grass they ate on while on his land.

He was bankrupted in 1991 with debts of $60 million. A few years later he was bankrupted again.

In 2004 Larkin and his son Jordan were banned from operating a finance broking business for 20 years and 10 years respectively after ripping off their clients.

Larkin will be back in court on October 24 in a bid to have his recent convictions annulled.