Matthew Charles Thomson, 41, owner and director of Stress Free Construction Ltd, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after earlier pleading guilty to altering a document with intent to defraud.
The charge represented three occasions where the defendant altered screen shots of successful bank transfers to fool Auckland household appliance store, NZ Depot.
The court heard that on February 6, 2022, Thomson ordered two heat pump units valued at $1837 from the NZ Depot website.
He transferred 3c to the store, which generated a "payment successful receipt", which he altered to show the correct payment value.
Thomson then emailed the doctored screenshot to the store and the order was shipped.
The defendant used the same technique to complete another order with NZ Depot a couple weeks later, this time for items worth more than $8000.
Several bathroom fittings including toilets, a shower and a gas water heater were sent to Thomson after he transferred 17c.
The following month, he pulled off the con again, swindling more than $10,000 worth of gear for 1c.
On this occasion, Thomson was contacted by the freight company prior to delivery and declined delivery of the order.
It was returned to NZ Depot at its expense.
When interviewed by police, the defendant said he had sold many of the items.
He said he had been scammed and felt he had a right to the property as he had stored it since its delivery.
Earlier this month, Thomson promised he would pay back the money he owed — once he had it.
He was waiting on a property settlement to be finalised, he said.
But this week, he again came to court empty-handed.
Judge Hermann Retzlaff was not prepared to allow any more delays and sentenced Thomson to 200 hours’ community work and ordered him to pay reparation of $15,665.
No payment plan was determined, but it would be up to the defendant to arrange it with the ministry.
The Companies Register said action to remove Thomson’s company, Stress Free Construction Ltd, from the register had been initiated and it was overdue in its obligation to file an annual return.
