Bank robber jailed for seven years

Press, 23 February 1989, Page 18

Bank robber jailed for seven years

PA Auckland A first offender who admitted six bank robberies and one attempted robbery has been jailed for seven years.

Michael Toeta Craig, aged 34, will serve 18 months of the term for knocking a milk-bottle-wielding pensioner, Ted Smith, aged 87, out of his way during one robbery. Mr Justice Thorp told Craig in the High Court at Auckland yesterday he had never seen a case where previous good conduct contrasted with a string of serious offences. The Crown prosecutor, Mr Kieran Raftery, said Craig was a “professional bank robber” for 14 months averaging a robbery every two months and netting $56,000. Mr Raftery said he could not find a previous case featuring as many offences.

Craig was caught on his third robbery attempt of the Lynfield A.S.B. bank after a security guard had

been hired. Mr Raftery said Craig used some of the stolen money to prop up his ailing. screen-printing business and splashed the rest on Christmas celebrations, friends, prostitutes, and cannabis.

Craig told police: “Once I got into that vicious cycle of throwing money around I just had to keep going.”

Defence counsel, Mr Barry Hart, said medical reports showed Craig acted compulsively, affected by depression and cannabis addiction.

Craig used a different mask for each robbery disguising himself and his car.

The Judge said Craig seemed to have developed a fatal attraction for robbery after his first success on May 31 at Mount Roskill South A.S.B. bank. Had it not been for Craig’s clean slate and full admissions he would have faced eight to nine years jail, he said.