In February 2016, Cramer-Roberts applied for a passport in the name of his brother to avoid detection by Australian authorities. He submitted a photo of himself in the application.
It was approved and he went on to use the passport on 24 occasions between November 2016 and January 2023 to travel between New Zealand and Australia.
In sentencing Cramer-Roberts, Judge Tony Couch said that there was clear premeditation in his actions, both in applying for the passport and then using it repeatedly over six years.
“This required a relatively sophisticated scheme and dishonest actions,” he said.
As part of his roofing job for a Christchurch company, Cramer-Roberts was responsible for assessing and repairing earthquake-damaged homes, the court heard. He was issued a company car, fuel card, tools, a phone and order book.
In September 2013, he failed to turn up to work. His employer tried to have their property returned. The company car was later left outside their offices with the keys, phone and fuel card but no tools or order book. The tools, valued at $4300, were never returned.
The company then received nine unauthorised invoices from creditors around Christchurch for materials and tools, worth a total of $20,653. The invoices did not relate to any of the company’s projects and had been bought using the missing order book.
“All of the offending involved serious breaches of trust the employer had placed in you,” Judge Couch said.
A separate charge in relation to a hired digger which Cramer-Roberts did not return for 18 months was withdrawn.
In July 2023, he was granted bail conditions from the North Shore District Court which required him to report to the Ōrewa Police Station once a week.
That month, he drove to the police station at around 10am and staff at the front desk noticed signs of intoxication. A breath test showed he had a level of 931 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, nearly four times the legal limit.
On the most serious charge, the passport-related offending, Cramer-Roberts was sentenced to three years and two months’ imprisonment. Further increases in his jail term were added for his other offending. He was remanded in custody.
His lawyer Peter Tomlinson said the “chickens had come home to roost” for Cramer-Roberts, who was now taking responsibility for his past actions.
He said his client had a history of alcoholism but was now sober. He was supported by his partner and daughter in the courtroom.
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