Section 258 — Crimes Act 1961: Altering, concealing, destroying, or reproducing documents with intent to deceive

258 Altering, concealing, destroying, or reproducing documents with intent to deceive (1) Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years who, with intent to obtain by deception any property, privilege, service, pecuniary advantage, benefit, or valuable consideration, or to cause loss to any other person,— (a) alters, conceals, or destroys any document, or causes any document to be altered, concealed, or destroyed; or (b) makes a document or causes a document to be made that is, in whole or in part, a reproduction of any other document. (2) An offence against subsection (1) is complete as soon as the alteration or document is made with the intent referred to in that subsection, although the offender may not have intended that any particular person should— (a) use or act upon the document altered or made; or (b) act on the basis of the absence of the document concealed or destroyed; or (c) be induced to do or refrain from doing anything. Compare: 1961 No 43 ss 231 , 256 , 266A Subsection (1) was amended, as from 11 June 1985, by section 2 Crimes Amendment Act 1985 (1985 No 82) by substituting the words “ stolen, or obtained by any other crime ” for the words “ obtained by any crime ” . Subsection (1) was amended, as from 11 June 1985, by section 2 Crimes Amendment Act 1985 (1985 No 82) by inserting the words “ stolen or ” . Subsection (1)(a) was amended, as from 15 May 1986, by section 4 Crimes Amendment Act 1986 (1986 No 4) by substituting the expression “ $300 ” for the expression “ $40 ” . Subsection (1)(b) was amended, as from 15 May 1986, by section 4 Crimes Amendment Act 1986 (1986 No 4) by substituting the expression “ $100 ” for the expression “ $10 ” . Subsection (1)(b) was amended, as from 15 May 1986, by section 4 Crimes Amendment Act 1986 (1986 No 4) by substituting the expression “ $300 ” for the expression “ $40 ” . Subsection (1)(c) was amended, as from 15 May 1986, by section 4 Crimes Amendment Act 1986 (1986 No 4) by substituting the expression “ $100 ” for the expression “ $10 ” . Subsection (2)(b) proviso was amended, as from 1 March 1996, by section 4(1) Crimes Amendment Act (No 2) 1995 (1995 No 68) by substituting the word “ filed ” for the word “ presented ” . See clause 2 Crimes Amendment Act Commencement Order 1996 (SR 1996/1). Part 10 (comprising sections 217 to 305) was substituted by a new Part 10 (comprising sections 217 to 272), as from 1 October 2003, by section 15 Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 39).