The alleged Christchurch fraudster who reportedly stole more than $100,000 from a rugby club and faked terminal cancer letters appears to be rushing to get her money out of New Zealand.
Nicola Flint left for the UK when her alleged fraud was uncovered, and Newshub can reveal she has now sold her Christchurch family home for well below its capital value.
Her mother-in-law is now pleading with her son, Andrew Flint, to come home with their children.
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The Flint's house sits on a leafy, desirable Christchurch Street. The latest rateable value is $930,000, its worth estimated at up to $1 million. But it sold swiftly without advertising. And documentation leaked to Newshub shows it sold for just $713,000.
Flint allegedly stole more than $100,000 from Christchurch Football Club; she worked there and her young children played there. Breastcare has also confirmed faked documentation which alleged Flint had terminal cancer back in 2017.
Newshub has spoken to a number of Flint's close friends who say they now see they've been constantly lied to. One close friend said that in 2018 Flint told her she was dying and showed her a "sad and distressing" letter allegedly from Christchurch Hospital to Flint's insurance company.
The official letter explained Flint's "diagnosis of cancer". It said she was on "palliative care with... six-nine months left to live".
It was for her insurance company to "access terminal illness life insurance benefits".
But the friend said she didn't know if she ever received those insurance payouts and she can't recall the insurance company on the letterhead.
Her distressed friend thought they would lose her by Christmas 2019. But Flint is alive and well, living in the UK, recent footage seen by Newshub showed her dancing at a party.
The Flints have also left their two dogs at a Canterbury kennel, with Nicola telling the kennel they couldn't come back to New Zealand because she was having cancer surgery and their son was in ICU in a UK hospital. The UK hospital she named has confirmed he never was.
Flint's mother-in-law, who doesn't want to be named, is appealing to her son to bring the grandchildren home.
"Your wife's manipulation, lies and deceptions are never-ending," she told Newshub.
"The mother of your kids has and continues to use your own flesh and blood to allegedly commit fraud. Is it not enough that you have lost your business, your home and your dogs?
"I cannot sit back and let the lies of their mother hurt my innocent grandchildren. What harm has telling your kids their mum is dying of cancer caused? What harm has uprooting their lives caused?"
Sources told Newshub the Flint Mersey Street home was sold late at night by Harcourts, off-market for an immediate sale, and it was offered below rateable value for a quick settlement. Also that only one or two people were allowed through the property. They said it looked like the Flints had left in a hurry.
Newshub has repeatedly requested comment from Nicola Flint but heard nothing. Police won't comment either, other than to say they're investigating.
