The Star: January 25, 2024

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The Star Thursday January 25 2024 14 COURT Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz Husband and wife Teenager stole two cars, took friends on road trip This report was produced by Open Justice – Te Pātītī, an NZME initiative funded by NZ on Air • By Laine Priestley A GROUP of teenagers who allegedly stole a car in Christchurch road-tripped around the South Island stealing other vehicles before pointing a toy gun at staff at a central Dunedin department store. Dunedin Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond said four teenagers, aged between 14 and 16, were apprehended by police after they had been spotted pointing a toy gun at Farmers staff. One of the 14-year-olds started the saga by stealing a Mazda Demio from Christchurch with the 16-year-old. He then drove the stolen vehicle to Temuka. In Temuka, the pair met up with another 14-year-old and the trio drove south. They got to Oamaru, where they dumped the Demio and stole a Toyota Fielder and made their way down to Dunedin, where they met up with a 15-year-old. One of the teenagers showed the officer the gun, which was a black BB gun hand pistol. Investigations were ongoing, but at this stage the 15-yearold was returned to their caregivers. The Christchurch 14-yearold was arrested and received two charges of unlawfully taking motor vehicles. The Temuka 14-year-old was also arrested and received two charges of unlawfully getting into stolen motor vehicles. The 16-year old was arrested and also received two charges of unlawfully getting into stolen motor vehicles as well as one charge of wilful damage. – ODT $100k ‘money mules’ • By Felicity Dear A MAN who took a bag containing $100,000 cash from Invercargill to Christchurch with his wife maintains he had no idea what was inside it. The man in his 30s was granted final name suppression when he appeared in the Invercargill District Court this week so as not to identify his wife, whose identity will also remain under wraps. In October, the man was found guilty of engaging in money laundering following a judgealone trial and this week he was sentenced to seven months’ home detention. The court heard the defendant and his wife were “money mules” who transported the proceeds of crime to people higher up in the operation. At his wife’s sentencing, the couple were described as “one small cog in a much bigger wheel”. The summary of facts says the main player in the police-coined “Operation Brooking” ran an informal and unregistered Bitcoin trading operation, providing a cryptocurrency trading service and a money-remitting service. He would use the money to buy high-value assets. The services were used by people who had obtained money by illegal means. The New Zealand Herald reported in October 2020 millions of dollars of high-end assets were seized in Auckland as part of the operation. On May 26, 2022, the man took the day off work to drive a supermarket bag containing $100,000 in cash to Christchurch Airport, where the money was given to two men who had flown in from Auckland. The couple then immediately drove back to Invercargill – a 14- hour round trip. The man claimed he never asked his wife what was in the bag and had no knowledge of the men they were meeting at the airport. Judge Russell Walker said that explanation “stretched credibility” and “defied belief”. “It could well be argued that this was in fact a joint venture,” he said. “This offending could not have been facilitated without your help.” When the police asked him why he never inquired about what was in the bag he said: “Look, I may have asked what was in it and probably got told – I don’t know”. This report was produced by Open Justice – Te Pātītī, an NZME initiative funded by NZ on Air Librarian killed in crash • By Anna Leask A 47-YEAR-OLD man visiting New Zealand from overseas has pleaded guilty to a charge of causing the death of a school librarian following a crash at Castle Hill. His name and the country he is from cannot yet be reported. Sue Johnson, the librarian at John Paul II High School in Greymouth, was with her by overseas visitor husband Ian – principal of St Patrick’s School in Greymouth – when they were involved in the crash on West Coast Rd on Sunday January 14. Ian Johnson and four other people were injured in the crash which happened just before 5pm. The man appeared in court on one count of careless or inconsiderate vehicle operation causing the death of Sue Johnson and one of careless or inconsiderate vehicle operation causing injury to her husband. He was granted interim name suppression on the basis the situation was “still raw” and he had not had a chance to tell either his family or the company he worked for. He will be sentenced on February 15. – NZ Herald CHARGED: The visitor to New Zealand pleaded guilty to causing the death of Sue Johnson and the injury of her husband Ian Johnson. 1 Drop Nation MUSIC oN sAle Now! Amazing Auto AAE Electric For everything Auto Electric CARS • BOATS • TRUCKS • CARAVANS • 4WDS • TRAILERS • ELECTRIC & HYBRID VEHICLES USUALLY SAME DAY SERVICE Full programme now live! Arts Festival | 8-9 Mar artscentre.org.nz Mr Big Head ROVING Now only $35.80 Plus $5 P&H per copy AvAilAble from stAr mediA: Level One, 359 Lincoln Road Addington, Christchurch Phone 379 7100 • Starter Motors • Alternators • Central Locking • Electric Windows • ABS & Airbags • Stereos/Alarms • Batteries • Tuneups • Engine Management 65 Coleridge St, Sydenham Phone 03 379 4250 www.amazingautoelectric.co.nz
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The Star: January 25, 2024

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