Former Kapiti mortgage broker Kerry Buddle has appeared in Porirua District Court this morning after a lengthy police investigation into numerous fraud complaints.
Buddle, 33, was charged with 10 counts of obtaining by deception and has been remanded on bail until September 25.
Outside court, Buddle avoided questions from reporters and was heckled from former clients. Some swore at her and demanded their money back but Buddle stayed quiet.
Police have investigated her for months after allegations she convinced her clients to loan her money after they took out mortgages on their homes.
Sergeant Jacquie Muir of the Kapiti Police says the allegations involve a now-defunct local mortgage broking company.
She says the total loss suffered by the 10 complainants is alleged to be in the vicinity of $1 million and further charges are likely.
In June last year, Buddle said she hadn’t “ripped anyone off” and planned to repay money to all her clients within a year.
“It’s not five years, it’s not ten years, it’s sooner rather than later because I want this closed and moved on,” she told Campbell Live. “I want to make it right”.
But one of her former clients, Jenny Twist, says she hasn’t seen any of the money she’s owed and Buddle won’t return calls or text messages.
“We’ve lost well over $30,000 but we’re just the baby of the family really,” she says.
“It’s not just myself. There are hundreds of people out there she’s affected. I know one person who’s lost his wife because of all the stress and heartache.”
Police first received complaints about Buddle in December 2010.
In August last year, Buddle made a court appearance but was remanded so she could apply for legal aid.
A month later, she was back in court where she pleaded not guilty to two other charges of obtaining by deception.
Buddle’s membership of the Mortgage Brokers’ Association was terminated in 2007.
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