A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
A woman's gambling addiction was at the root of her theft of nearly $453,000 and “betrayal” of her employers, Gisborne District Court heard.
Danielle Sancia Grant, 34, was sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison for stealing nearly $453,000 from Anne and John McDonald, lessees of the Vista Motor Lodge in Wairoa.
Mrs McDonald read her victim impact statement to the court, in which she said she and her husband offered Grant and her family support and friendship, and treated her as part of their family.
“I’m gutted and disappointed that our friendship meant nothing to you,” she said. “Financially I had to call and meet with the creditors for all the debts that had not been paid.
“John and I did not deserve this and we will be feeling the impact for the rest of our lives.
“We were willing to help and support your family. The opportunity would have been a way to get ahead with your lives.
“Trust is a huge thing in my eyes. Break it and I’m done.”
Judge Turitea Bolstad outlined the facts of the case.
The McDonalds managed the Vista Motor Lodge in Wairoa, and Grant worked for them.
Grant was increasingly entrusted with administrative work at the motel, including passwords to access business bank accounts to pay staff and bills.
The relationship developed into more than a working one, as the McDonalds helped Grant and her family, allowing them to stay at the motel rent-free in exchange for work in the office.
By July 2020, Mrs McDonald noticed irregularities in the bank accounts but Grant reassured her it was a glitch and she would sort it out.
In October 2020, Mrs McDonald was hospitalised and Grant took over running the business.
When Mrs McDonald realised some months later the original transactions had not been corrected, she contacted police.
Grant made 420 transfers from the motel business account to her own personal account, processing nearly $453,000.
“We’ve heard about the impact of your offending,” the judge said. “Not only did you take from their business but you have taken from them personally as well.”
Crown prosecutor Dave Walker told the court the aggravating factors in the case were the very large sum of money involved — none of which had been recovered — the premeditation and the persistent offending, which had occurred over eight months.
“The one that hurt the victims the most was the breach of trust,” Mr Walker said.
“It was not a regular employer-employee relationship; the defendant and her family were treated as part of the family.
“At one stage the defendant made the comment that she had the back of the victims as they were her family. The betrayal has been devastating.”
The prosecution submitted a starting point of imprisonment in the range of four-and-a-half to five years, whereas counsel for the defendant, Vicky Thorpe, submitted a four-year starting point.
Ms Thorpe told the court that Grant recognised her gambling addiction and now expressed remorse.
“She has made a meaningful expression of remorse and willingness to go through a restorative justice process.
“She comes to the court clean and her offending was born of an addiction, and there are personal factors that led to that,” she said.
“Until this offending she has had a good record. The addiction issue took hold of her and overcame any sense of fairness or loyalty or good behaviour we should have expected.
“She describes becoming powerless under the addiction and she is not in a position to make reparation.
“Addiction is not something that chooses its victim.”
Ms Thorpe submitted the court could consider home detention because Grant had a suitable address.
She had already spent four months and four days in custody.
In passing sentence Judge Bolstad noted both Crown and counsel acknowledged the offending was a result of Grant’s gambling addiction.
“In my view there is no connection between her background and her offending,” the judge said.
She did refer to pre-sentence reports that explained how the addiction arose.
“A term of imprisonment will be imposed today. While I would have liked to have imposed reparation upon you, the reality is you have no means to pay that reparation.”
The judge said the offending was deliberate, involved taking a significant amount of money from people who trusted her, had provided a home for her and her children, and who cared for her and her children. It was calculated offending.
“They are elderly and saved that money for their retirement. You have taken all of that from them.
“I accept that at the time you had an addiction problem. I also note that there was a lengthy period of time that you were on bail but I have nothing before me to show you have taken any steps to address that addiction.”
The judge adopted four-and-a-half years imprisonment as a starting point, with discounts for Grant’s guilty plea, previous good character, remorse and the contents of cultural and pre-sentence reports.
Release conditions were to be set by the New Zealand parole board.
Reparation was not imposed.