The Star: December 28, 2023

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The Star Thursday December 28 2023 10 NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz Contractor who failed to fill walls with insulation a former detective • By Tim Scott A HOMEOWNER is shocked after a former Christchurch detective charged him $4700 to insulate his walls, but left half of them empty. The man, who declined to be named, said he recorded the actions of Jason Bracegirdle – who is now also working as a private investigator in Dunedin – on CCTV. Bracegirdle was contracted to retrofit wall insulation, which involves drilling a hole and pumping the product into the cavity, into all walls of the home. CCTV footage supplied by the homeowner shows Bracegirdle drilling into a wall, then filling the holes with putty without installing insulation material. The saga began a few months ago when the homeowner contracted Bracegirdle through distributor Cosy Home to install CosyWall, a brand of retrofitted insulation product, around his Dunedin home. Once the job was done, the homeowner said he had a “gut feeling” something was off. He reviewed the CCTV footage and used thermal imaging CAUGHT: CCTV footage shows the contractor drilling holes into a wall, then filling the holes with putty without installing insulation material. equipment to scan the walls, which showed some parts of the walls – he estimated 50-60 per cent – had not been filled with insulation. The homeowner said he was “shocked” upon making the discovery and requested an auditor, who had to fly in from out of the city, to assess the job. During two visits with the auditor present, Bracegirdle drilled a series of test holes around the property so the walls could be assessed. After testing a hole with an endoscope, the auditor told the homeowner there was “nothing there” and that they were “looking at a void”, the homeowner said. After more insulation was injected during the visits, the homeowner accepted the walls were as good as they could be. However, when a builder visited the house for an unrelated job he noticed other issues, including inappropriate materials used to jam the house’s ventilation and shrinking mortar putty, leading the homeowner to once again question the work. The homeowner said he had paid the $4700 invoice because he thought the work had been done, but now wanted a refund or for the work to be fixed. “My battle right now is to get my house reinsulated properly, and I don’t want the local contractor to do it based on the behaviour I’ve seen.” When the Otago Daily Times contacted Bracegirdle, he said he had been advised not to say anything and declined to comment. CosyWall is a brand supplied by Safe-R Insulation. Safe-R Insulation general manager Wade Maurice said it had been working closely with the homeowner. Its auditor found areas of the home had been missed due to “the drill pattern”, Maurice said. “While most of the walls were filled, recommendations for remedial works to fill the missed spaces were made and carried out by the distributor.” However, further assessment revealed more work was required, he confirmed. Safe-R had arranged for the work to be done, but the homeowner indicated he wanted someone else to do it, Maurice said. The company also offered to pay a third party to do the work. “We have spoken with him at length and done everything we could to address the issues and remedy the situation.” Safe-R had been working with Cosy Home for five years and this was the first customerdriven complaint Safe-R had received that had prompted it to provide ongoing support in this way, Maurice said. The distribution agreement between the two companies was due for renewal and they would be “discussing the way forward” over the coming weeks, he said. – Otago Daily Times Food is our common ground, a universal experience RE-OPEN FRIDAY 5TH JAN WE ARE CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS RE-OPEN 11.30AM FRIDAY 5TH JAN 2024 WE WISH EVERYBODY A VERY HAPPY AND SAFE FESTIVE PERIOD SUMPTUOUS BUFFET OPEN TUESDAY TO SUNDAY LUNCH FROM 11.30AM WEDS - SUN DINNER FROM 5.30PM TUES - SUN SENIOR GOLD CARD DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL PH 386 0088 @GardenRestaurantBuffet RE-OPEN FRIDAY 5TH JAN 9AM - 4PM, 7 DAYS $18 LUNCH DEALS DEAL OF THE DAY AVAILABLE TUESDAY TO SATURDAY LUNCH DEAL WITH A HEINEKEN $22 FISH N CHIPS DEAL AVAILABLE TUESDAY, THURSDAY & SATURDAY PH 385 8880 @GBCCHCH THE GARDEN HOTEL COMPLEX 110 MARSHLAND RD, SHIRLEY | www.gardenhotel.co.nz Selwyn’s only dedicated restorative and implant centre We strive to deliver exceptional services with incredible results and a unique patient experience by utilising our advanced technology which provides a gentle touch. 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SPORTS NEWS brought to you by SUMMER DISCOUNTS ON OUR OUTDOOR AWNINGS • Folding Arm • Straight Drop Ask about our new Louvre Roof Systems! Thursday December 28 2023 The Star 11 Curtains | Blinds | Shutters Unit 2 / 99 Sawyers Arms Rd 03 365 4666 or 0800 836 587 www.venluree.co.nz Hard-hitting Jacobs follows in footsteps of his countrymen • By Sam Coughlan THE NUMBER of South African-born stars in New Zealand cricketing circles continues to rise. Black Caps Glenn Phillips and Devon Conway hail from the rainbow nation – and hoping to join them is Sydenham batter Bevon-John Jacobs. Jacobs moved to New Zealand with his family as a three-yearold from Pretoria, South Africa. He grew up in Auckland, where Jacobs said he learned cricket from his father, an avid fan of the sport. “My dad loved the game,” he said. “And so he introduced it to me, and it just kind of went from there.” Jacobs played for Westlake Boys’ High School’s first XI as a teenager and represented Auckland U19 at the national provincial competition. After leaving school he moved to Christchurch to study sport and recreation management on a cricket scholarship at Lincoln University. Said Jacobs: “Me and my family had a discussion about it and we thought that that would be the best step forward for me and my career. “Not only can I chase my dream of playing cricket but I can get the degree done at the same time.” MAKING HIS MARK: South-African born Bevon-John Jacobs celebrates a century for Sydenham against East Shirley. Inset – scoring runs for fun in the Christchurch Metro competition. PHOTOS: KEVIN CONGDON Jacobs joined Sydenham in 2021 and took to the Christchurch Metro competition, breaking multiple records during his time at the club so far. The 21-year-old set the record for the highest 50-over score in the competition’s history in January, scoring 178 runs in an innings against Old Boys Collegians to break the previous record of 169. In the same season his tally of 535 runs in the one-day set another record and higher honours seemed inevitable. The hard-hitting batter became a regular for second-tier Canterbury A, and said being in that environment benefited him. “From then onward is when I felt like maybe I had a chance and so I just tried to keep working at it,” he said. Jacobs’ hard work paid off when he was named in the Canterbury team for his Ford Trophy debut against Wellington at Hagley Oval in November, and he described it as “unreal”. “I think it didn’t really hit me until I got onto the field and first experienced it for myself. “I couldn’t really describe the feeling but I really enjoyed myself.” He backed it up with a successful T20 Super Smash debut against Auckland, where he scored 42 runs off just 20 balls, against Black Caps bowlers Jimmy Neesham and Ben Lister. Jacobs’s efforts couldn’t secure a win for Canterbury but he said he was grateful for the faith shown in him. “It’s nice to have that reassurance, that they’ve picked me and I feel like I can actually belong at this level.” He’s not getting ahead of himself either, being realistic on his chances in the future. Said Jacobs: “I’ve only just broken onto the domestic scene now. “I’m just trying to put my best foot forward and then hopefully the rest can take care of itself.” Boys’ High dominates Gillette Cup again PACE: Alex Kirkland in action against Otago Boys' High School. PHOTO: ASH WANASINGHE PHOTOGRAPHY • By Sam Coughlan DEPTH. That’s the key to Christchurch Boys’ High School’s continued domination of the Gillette Cup – the national secondary schools’ cricket competition. Boys’ High claimed their 12th title at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln – extending their lead in the list of most titles won, well ahead of Auckland’s King’s College, who have won five. Boys’ High cricket coordinator Rob Smith said the success is down to the depth they’ve built, with 18 cricket teams throughout the school. “Over the years we’ve built successful systems and there’s good continuity with new players coming in each year. “They understand what it takes to play and win at these competitions.” The title was claimed after Boys’ High won all five games at the competition, beating representatives from each of New Zealand’s major cricketing provinces. Auckland’s Westlake Boys’ High School pushed them close but lost by 14 runs in the final game. Left-arm fast bowler Alex Kirkland took the final wicket in that game to seal the title, and he, along with Chris Ellison, Toby Robinson and Nick Smith all represented Canterbury U19 at the recent national tournament. Rob Smith said the boys all had excellent tournaments. “All four of them have very bright futures moving into the big world next year.” Opening batter Robinson scored 245 runs for the tournament, the second-highest and two runs behind first-placed Jordan van Zyl from Westlake Boys’. That included a huge 132 not out against Wellington College. Fast bowler Nick Smith also took 12 wickets to finish top of the bowling standings, and Kirkland took 10 to finish fourth. Of the 12-man squad for the tournament, only five will be staying for 2024 with the rest finishing school, and Rob Smith said next year has to be a new start. “There’s lots of competition, especially in the Christchurch qualifiers which are really tough,” said Rob Smith. “But this year’s success is a great foundation and we’ll definitely have a go.”
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The Star: December 28, 2023

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