Man fined $50K for unlicensed electrical work

A businessman who posed as a licensed electrician has been fined more than $50,000 for multiple incidences of carrying out unlicensed electrical work, Master Electricians Australia has reported. The former sole director of Newstyle Electrical went by several aliases: Cristian Roberto Martinez, Cristian Roberto Vallazon, Christian Alfonso Martinez and Christian Martinez.

Martinez was convicted of offences under the Home Building Act 1989 and ordered to pay $50,740 fines and costs. The court heard that Martinez had never held a licence or certificate qualifying him to undertake specialist electrical work.

In December 2010, Martinez entered into a subcontract agreement with a Sydney building company for the supply and installation of electrical wiring at a home in Rose Bay. Martinez supervised, coordinated and carried out electrical wiring under the contact, which was valued at $185,000.

The work was completed in September 2011; Martinez’s company was placed into liquidation the following month.

Martinez also falsely represented himself as the holder of a contractor licence in May 2012, providing a bogus contractor licence number to a company that had subcontracted him.

Five days after using the false licence number, Martinez was in Parramatta Local Court pleading guilty to earlier charges dating back as far as October 2009. On that occasion, he received a nine-month suspended sentence under the Crimes Act for using a false document. He was also ordered to pay $15,786 fines and costs for carrying out unlicensed electrical work at two homes in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Martinez has not paid these fines.

NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said consumers had the right to be protected from unscrupulous tradespeople like Martinez.

“Under tougher new penalties for unlicensed traders, planned to come into effect through the Home Building Act next year, serial offenders like Mr Martinez may find themselves behind bars,” Stowe said.

“The residential building industry is regulated in the interests of consumer protection, and builders and tradespeople are expected to strictly adhere to all relevant laws regulating this industry.”