Former AFL midfielder Nick Stevens did not mince words outside a Victorian court on Wednesday, telling reporters he was fed up after yet another delay in a fraud trial that has now stretched across seven years.
The judge overseeing the case dismissed the jury after the prosecution encountered technical difficulties it could not resolve during the court session. For Stevens, who played over 200 games across stints with Carlton and Port Adelaide, the setback was one too many.
"It's extremely disappointing to have seven years and the prosecution still not able to provide the evidence that's needed," Stevens told reporters gathered outside court. "It's extremely disappointing."
Stevens, now 46, is charged with 18 offences including theft, obtaining financial advantage by deception, and using a false document. Prosecutors allege he took money from six families in the regional Victorian town of Mildura, collecting a combined total of $171,000 for swimming pool installations that were either never completed or carried out improperly.
The crown's case, as reported by 7News, is that some families were left with cracked pools while others received nothing more than large excavated holes in their backyards. Stevens has pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges.
Wednesday's dismissal is not the first significant disruption to proceedings. A previous trial was aborted last year following a judicial mix-up, adding to what has become a protracted legal process for all involved, including the six families who say they were left out of pocket.
The frustration Stevens expressed publicly is understandable from a procedural standpoint. Extended legal timelines place pressure on defendants, witnesses, and alleged victims alike, and courts have a legitimate obligation to ensure matters proceed efficiently. When technical failures on the part of the prosecution force a jury to be dismissed, that obligation is plainly not being met.
At the same time, it is important to recognise that Stevens faces serious allegations. The six families named in the charges did not receive what they paid for, according to prosecutors, and they too have been waiting years for a resolution. Their interest in a fair and complete hearing is no less pressing than any defendant's interest in a swift one.
The trial is set to resume on Monday. Whether proceedings will finally move forward without further interruption remains to be seen, but all parties, the court, the prosecution, and the families involved, will be hoping Wednesday's disruption is the last of them.
For a case rooted in allegations of harm done to ordinary families in a regional community, the long shadow of delay serves no one well.