Furniture carrier organised burglaries

Press, 6 October 1988, Page 22

Furniture carrier organised burglaries

PA Auckland The director of a Well-ington-based furniture removal company organised burglaries of four Auckland properties to recoup debts from poorly paying customers, a court heard. Paul Pretty Removals, Ltd, had been having trouble collecting debts from several customers and was owed $15,500 by one Auckland man, counsel, Mr Brian Gubb, told the District Court at Auckland. The director of the company, Paul Pretty, came to Auckland in May with a number of his employees and asked his brother to assist in the repossession of property. Over a two-day period the removers burgled two houses, carrying away a house lot of household effects valued at $36,965 and antique furniture valued at $40,520. They also stole a $22,000 car, tennis court

flood lights valued at $ll,OOO and two wroughtiron gates valued at $BOOO. Kevin Francis Pretty, aged 36, a storage company manager, of Birkenhead, was sentenced to eight months periodic detention and fined $2OOO after earlier admitting his part in the burglaries and thefts. Mr Gubb, counsel for Kevin Pretty, said his client had become involved in the burglaries to help his elder brother, Paul, whose removal company was experiencing “a cash-flow crisis.” “Paul Pretty came up to Auckland with some of his employees and to some extent took the law into his own hands,” he said. Paul Pretty had tried for more than a year to get $15,500 from one client for transporting furniture from Wellington to

The client had even been ordered by the court to pay the bill, but had failed to do so. Paul Pretty thought he would force the issue by taking possession of some of the debtor’s property, said Mr Gubb. It had been stored in Paul Pretty’s warehouse in Wellington. “Kevin Pretty foolishly went along with the plan,” said Mr Gubb. They knew they were breaking the law but had been forced to act out of frustration. Paul Pretty faced 10 charges in the District Court at Wellington, said Mr Gubb.

Judge Hall said he had seriously considered jailing Kevin Pretty before hearing the background to the burglaries and thefts. The offences were serious and Pretty’s part in them said little for his intelligence.