David Flewitt,Auckland barrister is facing 29 fraud-related charges, including accessing the Law Society's website to renew his practising certificate

Auckland barrister is facing 29 fraud-related charges, including accessing the Law Society's website to renew his practising certificate and falsifying legal aid applications to earn nearly $3000.David Flewitt, 43, allegedly accessed the New Zealand Law Society's computer system to issue himself a new practising certificate at a cost of nearly $870, after it lapsed. Lawyers are required to renew their licences each year.Police say he also ran up a bill of close to $2200 on a friend's credit card. He allegedly spent up large on TradeMe, Woolworths, Noel Leeming and adult entertainment online shopping websites buying groceries, an iPod, pornography and pizza. There was also a $90 haircut.He is alleged to have falsified a tenancy agreement, stolen petrol from two service stations and ripped off two users of the online auction site TradeMe.One of the alleged TradeMe victims told the Sunday Star-Times he paid Flewitt for a $350 hand-held computer that never arrived.
TradeMe's commercial and regulatory head Mike O'Donnell said the company was working closely with police to build a case against Flewitt.The barrister told the Star-Times most of the allegations came about because he had used his former partner's credit card and she then told police he was not authorised to do so. He said he had used his partner's credit card to renew his practising certificate online in the past and it had not previously been a problem. The police allegations were misleading, he said. The charges would be defended.The charges were "disastrous" and "devastating" for him. He said he realised he would not be able to practice law unless he was cleared.A spokesperson for the Legal Services Agency declined to comment on the allegations of fraudulent legal aid applications, saying the matter was before the courts.However, the agency's records show Flewitt received $7392 in legal aid payments last year. The allegations relate to three legal aid payment applications in May and one in June. Police say the applications earned him at least $2200.