140 years to recuperate stolen money from fraudster employee

Triac Lighting, Sound and Visual Hire company owner Neil Turner. Photo/George Novak

When Judge Robert Wolff said Lesley Hunt's theft of $146,000 from her boss would affect him and his family for a long time, her victim thought the judge was overstating the impact.

Now, Neil Turner of Tauranga's Triac Light & Sound realises the judge was right.

"I'm spending 60-plus hours a week at work," Mr Turner told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend this week.

"I'm way behind in my work. I'm tired and hardly see my wife."

Turner says his elderly parents are also suffering as a result of Hunt's actions. She stole the money over four-and-a-half years while working as Triac's office administrator and pay clerk.

The moment she left, I was better off.

Neil Turner

Turner's mother is unwell and his father frail, and the pair, who are in their mid-80s, are missing out on the usual daily visits from their son.

"I just don't get a chance to see them. It's all those little things," the 57-year-old says.

Before Hunt bled his company, Mr Turner had hoped he would be in a position to offer financial help to his four children, the eldest of whom is 33.

Instead, one of his three sons is coming home two years early from a five-year OE to help his dad manage the lighting, sound and visual hire-equipment business.

Despite his woes, Turner speaks with a smile and is positive about the future.

He credits the support of his family, customers and creditors, and a strong Christian faith with helping him since Hunt's crimes were discovered last October.

Turner says despite his wife Kerry suspecting Hunt for some time before the fraud was discovered, she has been unfailing in her support.

Lesley Hunt. Photo/file

"She has never said, 'I told you so'.

"She tells me I'm a trouper."

Hunt's fraud was brazen and committed in an environment in which she was given responsibility for - and trusted with - the accounts while Turner was busy running the equipment side of the business.

But over time, as the business failed to make money, Turner was forced to let go of another employee.

By the time Hunt's fraud was discovered, he was considering putting the business into receivership.

He says the generosity of a couple of long-term suppliers has helped him endure the storm and he believes he has also coped better than some because he has never placed huge importance on money. However, he says the turnaround in the business since Hunt left has been incredible.

"The moment she left, I was better off."

Hunt, 54, committed much of her fraud using Triac's merchant eftpos card, using the card to make refunds into her bank accounts.

I didn't think a caring person like you would denied [sic] a person to put food on the table and a roof over there [sic] head.

Lesley Hunt

The amounts were always in multiples of $100 to divert suspicion, because that is the amount of bonds required by Triac for hiring equipment.

The amounts would show as "Paymark" on Triac's bank statements and Turner thought they were fees charged by the eftpos company.

Even once Hunt was dismissed, she continued to try and get money out of Turner, asking him for wages three weeks later in an email seen by the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend.

"I didn't think a caring person like you would denied [sic] a person to put food on the table and a roof over there [sic] head," she wrote.

Turner says he had helped Hunt out many times over the years and listened to her problems.

He says her offer to repay $20 a week would take him 140 years to recuperate the stolen money.