Woman demands $5000 ‘to stop Mongrel Mob burning her house down’

Appearing in Dannevirke District Court was Stacey Tai who pleaded guilty to charges of speaking threateningly and wilful trespass. Photo / Paul Taylor

A woman has been left feeling frightened and vulnerable after another woman demanded $5000 from her.

Appearing in Dannevirke District Court was Stacey Tai, who pleaded guilty to charges of speaking threateningly and wilful trespass.

Judge Stephanie Edwards said Tai had met the victim through the church they both attended and befriended her.

In November Tai went to the woman’s home, claiming she was being threatened by the Mongrel Mob. She said she needed $5000 to stop the gang from burning Tai’s house down.

The woman refused to give Tai the money but she only left the property when a gardener who was working there intervened and escorted her off the property.

The gardener then took the woman indoors and told her to lock the house up.

Her family had since installed security chains on the doors.

In a victim impact report the woman said she had been impacted financially and had given Tai money on previous occasions, but she was not sure of the amount she had given.

Judge Edwards said the victim donates to charitable causes because of her Christian values and that she felt Tai had needed help.

“She now realises what Tai said to her was all lies and she feels Tai took advantage of her.

“She feels very frightened. She worries if her family or neighbours are away. She feels very vulnerable.”

Judge Edwards said it was a sad thing in a small community that people had to have safety chains on their doors.

“There is a history to this offending. This woman had been kind to you and for you to turn around and threaten her makes this quite serious,” Judge Edwards told Tai.

She noted Tai was raising seven children aged between 2 and 17 and obviously had financial problems.

Counsel Nicola Graham said Tai understood that she had frightened the woman.

“It was a situation where she received kindness from another person and she took advantage of that.

“Tai had seen the woman in the street and knew she wasn’t allowed to approach her, but as they passed each other Tai said sorry but she wasn’t sure if the woman had heard her.”

Graham submitted that as Tai had offended against the community she should pay back to the community.

Judge Edwards sentenced Tai to 100 hours community work on each charge, adding that the community work could probably be converted to training of some sort.