Le Roy's tyre stockpile at the Racecourse Rd site in 2021. Photo / George Heard
Le Roy's tyre stockpile at the Racecourse Rd site in 2021. Photo / George Heard
Christchurch businessman Michael Le Roy caused environmental harm and financial losses by stockpiling tyres and managing companies while bankrupt.
Now he’s been banned from running a business for life.
Justice Raoul Neave highlighted Le Roy’s significant financial harm and previous bankruptcy history.
A Christchurch businessman who left a trail of “considerable havoc” has been handed a rare penalty - he has been banned from running a business for the rest of his life.
Michael Le Roy has repeatedly caused environmental harm to an Amberley property where he stockpiled used tyres, breaching restrictions imposed on him while bankrupt and causing losses in the tens of thousands of dollars.
He has now become only the third person to be permanently prohibited from being a company director in New Zealand.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said the only other two people to receive a life ban were Lance Ryan in 2020 and Raymond Andrews in 2023.
Le Roy was adjudicated bankrupt in April 2010 after his waste disposal business went into liquidation, which led to him abandoning 500 tonnes of rubbish on a lifestyle block that he was leasing costing the landowner $45,000 to remove.
He was adjudicated bankrupt for a second time in 2018 but continued to manage companies throughout his bankruptcy.
He was later subject to charges filed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Inland Revenue Commissioner in 2020.
In 2022 he was jailed for three years over unpaid tax and forgery.
He misled authorities with unpaid tax deductions for three separate companies of nearly $60,000 and took part in the management of companies while bankrupt, at least the second time he had done so.
Now, the Christchurch High Court has ordered Le Roy be permanently prohibited from being a director or promoter of, or in any way directly or indirectly, taking part in the management of a company under the Companies Act.
Vanessa Cook, MBIE business registries investigations and compliance teammanager, said Le Roy is one of a “handful” of serious offenders banned for life.
“There is good reason for Mr Le Roy to be permanently prohibited from being involved in managing any company based on his previous convictions and the serious risk of financial harm to the public should he be allowed to carry on business activities in the future,” Cook said.
“Mr Le Roy’s conduct to date is amongst the most serious of cases of this type.”
At his sentencing in 2022, Justice Raoul Neave noted the significant amount of loss that resulted from Le Roy’s offending.
“Considerable havoc has been left in your wake,” Justice Neave said.
“You ignored warnings both from MBIE and the Inland Revenue. You of course have the previous history of bankruptcy, so you knew what your obligations were, and you knew you were flagrantly in breach of those obligations.”
Prohibitions in the Companies Act are imposed to protect the public from individuals who have been “unscrupulous, incompetent, or irresponsible in how they have carried on business”.
A pile of 20,000 tyres was torched by Garry Grimmer after becoming frustrated at what he saw was a lack of action from authorities. Photo / Julia McLean (via Hurunui District Council Facebook)
Oct 2009 – Liquidation of Le Roy Investments Limited, the company Michael Benny Le Roy used to manage his businesses. The company owed $207,568 to unsecured creditors and was removed from the Companies Register in October 2011.
2010 – Operating a waste disposal company that dumped rubbish on a lifestyle block that Mr Le Roy had leased. Following complaints, the lease was terminated, and he left 500 tonnes of rubbish on the property that cost the owner $45,000 to remove.
April 2010 – Was adjudicated bankrupt and automatically discharged on May 17 2013.
2014 – Incorporated Jamison Investments Limited which went into receivership from 31 August 2018 to 9 October 2019. Later removed from the Companies Register on 25 March 2022.
2015 – Incorporated Tyre Recycling Services New Zealand Limited and arranged for a family member to be the director. Also later removed from the Companies Register on 25 March 2022.
2016 – Incorporated 2016 Tyre Shedding Limited and arranged for a family member to be the director. The name was changed to Annexure Services Limited and is not currently trading. Currently in the process of removing from the Companies Register.
2018 – Was adjudicated bankrupt for the second time and was discharged on March 9 2021.
2015 -2018 – Owed Inland Revenue PAYE deductions of $59,876.34.
2018 – Ordered by Environment Canterbury (Regional Council) to remove all end-of-life tyres from a rural property in Amberley (north Canterbury) which he did not comply. The cost of removal was estimated by the Regional Council to be $500,000. He later leased a warehouse and when he was evicted, he owed about $65,000 in lease arrears and about $134,000 for the removal of the tyres he had stored.
2019 – Incorporated Tyre Shredding 2016 Limited while being bankrupt and arranged for a family member to be the director. Was removed from the Companies Register on 14 September 2022.
2020 – Inland Revenue filed charges for tax evasion and MBIE filed charges for using forged documents, carrying on or taking part in management or control of any business whilst bankrupt and misleading the Official Assignee’s Office.
2022 – Sentenced to three years in prison. Was released on parole on September 30 2024.
2025 - Banned from running a business for the rest of his life.
Al Williams is an Open Justice reporter for the New Zealand Herald, based in Christchurch. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas for the last 16 years. Most recently he was editor of the HC Post, based in Whangamata. He was previously deputy editor of Cook Islands News.
