Holmes pounces on crank-calling pests

Broadcaster Paul Holmes (L) came to the rescue of crank-call victims Cecily and Chris Ault. Photos / Herald on Sunday

An Auckland couple are reeling after being taunted in more than 100 violent and sexual crank calls over four days and nights.

They say that calling police and Telecom did not stop the calls and that they only got real action after a desperate call to broadcaster Paul Holmes.

The crank callers, who are believed to be at least four school students from New Plymouth, used seven phones over Queen's Birthday Weekend to harangue and threaten Chris and Cecily Ault over their 0800 business line.

Even when a police officer answered one of the calls, the taunts continued. The calls have left the couple furious and at breaking point.

"Seven years ago I had a heart attack and triple bypass and I was starting to get chest pains," said a tearful Chris. "I was starting to get worked up."

The couple, who run a pest extermination business (0800 TERMINATOR), tried everything to get rid of the real-life vermin - including hanging up, trying to negotiate, and throwing back their own abuse. They couldn't ignore the calls in case they were legitimate business inquiries.

The trouble started last Friday, when Chris received a call from a young man saying that he wanted to eradicate rats from his ceiling.

"I started to write the details and then he said: 'I don't have rats. I want you to kill someone for me'. I knew straight away this was a wind-up."

The calls and taunts became more sinister and frequent - as many as 20 calls by 11pm that night.

"While this was going on I was thinking in all sincerity what I might have done. I don't cheat people, I don't have any enemies. I just couldn't think of who would want to have a go at me."

The callers threatened to kill the couple and made sexually provocative comments to Cecily. On Saturday the calls resumed and the couple went to the Auckland police station and handed their phone to an officer during another call.

"He listened and he was absolutely disgusted. He said to these kids, 'The people you are calling are upset by your calls ... . I want you to stop calling and leave it at that'." But the pranksters called back and taunted the officer.

The calls kept coming and on Tuesday Telecom's investigative team was called in. But still the calls kept coming so the couple went to Holmes at NewstalkZB.

"He actually got everyone to listen in the end because Telecom wasn't doing anything about it."

As Telecom disconnected phones, the callers would find another.

"We were going to have to end up paying for the 0800 calls if Paul Holmes hadn't intercepted."

A Telecom spokeswoman said the company had disconnected seven phones so far and was looking at others. "This was an extreme case, just astonishing."

She said it wasn't true that Telecom had acted only after Holmes' intervention. "We were aware of this situation on Tuesday morning and Mr Ault rang NewstalkZB in a very short period of time. It was also a long weekend so we weren't given a lot of time to respond. Mr Ault and his wife have had a horrible experience - the last thing we want to do is make them pay for those calls."

Telecom was working with police to identify the students. Police have pinpointed a New Plymouth school and are hot on the trail of suspects. Sergeant James Cassin said other 0800 numbers had also been targeted. In the meantime, the Aults have been left to contemplate the pests they couldn't eradicate.

"I think they are scumbags," said Cecily. "The police say they are only words and they shouldn't upset you, but try putting up with it for four days and nights and see if you wouldn't go crazy."