The Lady Wigram protesting sign is removed from a fence by a residence.
The Lady Wigram protesting sign is removed from a fence by a residence.
A prominent rest home owner and businessman verbally abused his tenants yesterday after they put up a sign at the complex complaining about noisy trucks.
John Tooby, owner of the $80 million Lady Wigram Retirement Village in Wigram, used the f-word frequently and calling the four elderly residents a packof "bloody kids".
The tirade was recorded by a Star journalist who was at the rest home to photograph tenants about their ongoing issues of noisy trucks on Lodestar Ave.
The elderly residents were clearly shaken and tried to reason with Tooby, saying they were his tenants, but his abuse continued.
Tooby told the pensioners he was "f***ing pissed off" they had contacted the Star about the campaign to stop the trucks.
Tooby and Golden Health Care was nominated as a finalist for the 2016 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards.
The company's website ironically features one of the elderly tenants that he abused yesterday on promotion material.
Tooby later apologised to Bob Prescott, one of the pensioners he abused.
Said Prescott: "I had a verbal apology sort of and we did end by shaking hands and I suppose that means something but it's best I say nothing.
"I'm in a difficult situation now and it's better I say nothing."
The Star unsuccessfully triedto talk to Tooby after his tirade.
But in a brief interview by phone earlier in the afternoon he said: "If I worried about heavy trucks driving past, I wouldn't be in business so I would go and find some real news."
Prescott and other residents at the retirement village have been trying to get authorities to stop trucks using Lodestar Ave since earlier this year.
The trucks rattle everything in their units from 4.30am and Prescott can't open doors and windows because of the noise, he said.
Residents have been to the Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board and the police and Wigram MP Megan Woods about the problem.
Lady Wigram residents before the altercations with owner John Tooby. Photo / Martin Hunter
Transcript:
John Tooby: You'll not take it down in a minute, you'll take it down right now. I'm being rung up by the bloody press [the Star] and I'm not standing for that bloody bit, that bulls**t. Alright?
Female resident: I'm sorry but we just...
Male resident: Are you alright?
Tooby: Do you think you're going to re-train the bloody truckies down here? It's none of your business, it's none of my business. If you've got a problem you ring the council up and do it privately.
Tooby: If you've got a problem, you ring me up but you do not go sticking signs on my fence. I'm not being rung up by the bloody press, I've got more things to do than put up with that bullsh*t.
Male resident: We had your manageress here when we first were interviewed.
Tooby: I'm the bloody boss round here, alright?
Male resident: I'm sorry, I thought she was allowed to be here.
Tooby: Well ring them up again. That's life, isn't it?
Male resident: No it's not. If you sat in one of these villas at 4.30-5 o'clock.
Tooby: You do not go around putting signs up on my fence and have the bloody press ringing me up. They want to interview me and all this f**king crap. Grow up. Get a life, get on the phone, do it from inside your house. (inaudible) Get this bloody sign down.
Male resident: Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? You're in a foul mood, John.
John Tooby: I know. Have you got nothing better to do either?
Male resident: Bloody hell.
The Star photographer: I'm just doing my job.
John Tooby: Yeah, well, go and report some decent news, would you? Round here, trucks drive around here a bit fast, this is not the way to solve it, is it?
