Two worlds collide at emotional sentencing of Whangārei Michael Hill robber

Dayton Perham appears in the Whangārei District Court for sentencing for his role in the robbery of the Michael Hill jewellery store in Cameron St in 2023. Photo / Shannon Pitman

When a teen who rarely had three meals a day decided to rob a multimillion-dollar jewellery store, the victims were women who were simply trying to do their jobs when they were caught in the crossfire of two vastly different worlds.

Now, one of the people who left three women suffering from the aftermath of a violent aggravated robbery at a Michael Hill Jeweller store is behind bars – but the side-effects of his actions still linger.

“You have put me in a mental prison and I want you to know what that feels like,” one of the store staff told Dayton Perham as he was sentenced in the Whangārei District Court this week for his role in the August 2023 aggravated robbery.

Michael Hill International has faced several robberies over the years but the incident at its flagship store in Whangārei – the first to be opened by Northland-born Hill in 1979 – marked a significant escalation.

Michael Bell, a company representative, said employees have a close connection to their workplace and the robbery left them with long-lasting effects.

“This escalation of violence by the perpetrators compared to previous incidents was significant. The five offenders intentionally targeted our staff, who were more than compliant with their demands. Yet these perpetrators felt the need to violently kick our staff, push staff to the ground and stand over them, armed with a tyre iron.”

One victim vividly recalled the terror of the robbery and said that, 10 months on, the memories were still fresh.

“I can still hear the glass breaking and the alarms going off. I still feel guilty I wasn’t able to protect them [her colleagues] – that’s bull****, I shouldn’t have any of those feelings. I didn’t put myself in this position, you did,” she said in court.

“You hurt three women at work doing their job. How is that okay?

“If someone did this to your mother, your grandmother, your sister, would that be okay? Or would that be different because that’s your family?”

For another woman, the experience was particularly harrowing as she was held up against the wall with a crowbar, thrown to the ground and assaulted.

“I’ve been told what happened but don’t have much memory. I thought if I got out the back, I would be safe.”

She suffered concussion, bruising and a cut and now has post-traumatic stress, low memory recall and is on long-term medication.

Perham, 19, was part of a group that planned to arm themselves and rob the jewellery store in Cameron St, which was staffed by one security guard and three female employees.

About 3.45pm on August 2, 2023, they arrived in a stolen Mitsubishi on the footpath outside.

Armed with a hammer, crowbar, screwdriver, tyre iron and disguised in hooded jackets, masks and gloves, the group ran into the store.

The security guard was overrun as they began to smash glass display cabinets, removing rings, watches and other jewellery.

CCTV captured Perham smashing cabinets with an orange-handled hammer and taking jewellery.

The summary of facts alleged one person in the group acted as a lookout while the other four continued the robbery.

The three female staff retreated to the backroom. One of the robbers leapt over a counter and chased them, kicking one in the lower back and bringing her to the floor.

The same man threatened a second woman with a tyre iron, pushing her to the floor.

The damage done to the Michael Hill Jeweller store in Whangārei by a group of youths in an aggravated robbery. Photo / NZME

He then returned to the first victim, who was on her knees covering her head with her arms. He swung the tyre iron, striking her in the head.

A member of the public was outside filming the robbery and was allegedly kicked in the arm by the lookout, preventing her from filming.

The group fled with more than $50,000 of stolen goods, having caused $200,000 of damage to the store.

They were found and later arrested.

‘Now I’m in jail’

Perham’s background of hardship was laid out by his lawyer, Wayne McKean.

His father was frequently in prison and his mother, who was 16 when he was born, struggled with drug addiction. The only figure in his life was his grandmother, who died when he was 11.

By 14 he had left school and drifted from one inadequate home to another, often lacking food and clothing.

“Growing up, no one was really ever there for him. As Dayton got older, he just gave up, he just ran with the hand he was dealt,” his stepmother, Nikita Albert, told the court at his sentencing.

She expressed the family’s apologies to all the victims and acknowledged the trauma they had been through.

“We were all young, just kids having kids, we didn’t know what we were doing. It’s our fault now,” she said through tears.

McKean said that, on the day of the robbery, Perham had got into a physical altercation with his father.

“I thought f*** it, f*** this and my mates picked me up. I was crying and I just lost it, I never wanted to hurt anyone. I had a girlfriend and I thought I was a good guy, and now I’m in jail,” Perham said through his lawyer.

Sir Michael Hill grew up on Kamo Road and opened his first store in Whangārei in 1979. Photo / NZME

When Perham was arrested, he weighed 65kg. McKean mentioned that, since his incarceration, for the first time, he had been eating three meals a day and his weight had increased to 80kg.

Despite being approached by numerous gang members in prison, he had been steadfast that he would not join a gang.

“He is putting himself at risk by being in jail and refusing to join a gang.

“This is a shocking case when you think about a young Māori man with no connection with his culture. If he had other opportunities as a young boy, he might have turned out okay,” McKean submitted.

Despite the driving factors leading to Perham’s criminality, he blamed no one but himself.

“I know my actions have affected you [the victims] and your family and I am truly sorry. Spending time in prison has made me realise this life is not the life I want.

“It is not anybody else’s fault but mine, blaming people or people who have influenced me isn’t right because I made the choice to go,” Perham said in a letter to the court.

Judge Gene Tomlinson sentenced Perham to three years’ imprisonment and was hopeful he could be rehabilitated.

“This offending smacks of emotional dysregulation but I am satisfied you have real rehabilitation capability.

“I feel the real and lasting impacts your actions have had on them, that harm is long-lasting.

“When I look at the seriousness of this robbery, I am struck by the fact that 36 months seems inadequate but I am applying the law as I must.”

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.