Court hears of bid to ransom oil painting

A $500,000 ransom was demanded for the safe return of Tissot's masterpiece Still On Top, a jury at the High Court in Auckland heard yesterday.

But the ransom note sent to the Auckland District Law Society warned: "Any deviation/violation of my conditions will ensure you never see this painting again. This is not negotiable."

The note, which arrived last August 17, eight days after the art gallery was robbed, was headed: Attention Auckland Art Gallery, and signed "Chameleon."

The same day police swooped on the Waikaretu property south of Port Waikato occupied by Anthony Ricardo Sannd, also known as Ricardo Genovese.

They allegedly found the $2 million oil painting along with other items the Crown, represented by Charles Cato and Mark Treleaven, says are incriminating.

Sannd, aged 48, faces a number of robbery charges, including the armed holdup of the gallery on August 9.

The ransom note said it wanted Auckland lawyer Megan Jenkins to be involved in the handover of the cash and painting.

A letter to Megan Jenkins was enclosed with the ransom note asking her to act as go-between.

It said she had to be ready at 10 minutes' notice to hand over the money once the robber contacted her.

But the letter also warned: "Any police involvement would spell lots of blood you will not forget."

The blackmailer preferred the exchange to be "clean," but said he had "no problems dealing with a hostile situation."

He said he had sent a Polaroid photograph of the painting.

Megan Jenkins told the court she received an envelope containing a photograph, which she handed unopened to the police.

She had never had any dealings with the accused.

Earlier, building contractor Richard Keuning told the jury that a warning shot fired over his head had stopped him in his tracks as he pursued the man who had just robbed the art gallery.

He had chased the robber outside to the carpark, where he saw him crouching by his motorcycle.

"I approached the guy because the shotgun was on the ground and he picked up the weapon and told me to 'back off' and fired a shot in the air."

The gunman, who was wearing a full-face helmet, then sped off on a black motorcycle.

Mr Keuning took the registration number, 12TMZ. The number plate was allegedly found in the same room as the Tissot at Sannd's home.

Mr Keuning said the robber had hit a guard hard in the stomach with the butt of a sawn-off shotgun, winding him so badly that he fell to the ground.

Another guard was also ordered to lie on the floor. The gunman cut the painting out of its frame with a small jemmy.

The trial before Justice Potter continues today. Sannd represents himself.