KEY POINTS:
A prominent property developer hired a member of a motorcycle gang he himself once rode with to help kidnap his business partner, an Auckland jury was told.
The claim was made by the Crown during its opening address in a four-week kidnapping and extortion case being heard in
the Auckland District Court.
Richard George Anthony Kroon, developer of the acclaimed Chancery precinct in downtown Auckland, and Craig Hamish Weller, a member of The Mothers motorcycle gang, face two charges (kidnapping and demanding with menaces) in relation to events that took place two years and seven months ago on 16 November, 2004, at Pakiri, north of Auckland.
They are alleged to have lured Kim Spencer to a block of land which Kroon and Spencer were developing together, detaining him in a shed with the help of four unknown men, and forcing him to sign documents capable of being worth millions of dollars to Kroon.
Anna Pollett, for the Crown, told the jury that Kroon had once ridden with the same Plamerston North motorcycle gang and knew Weller through that connection.
Kroon, it is alleged, recruited Weller and that two cheques totalling $4000 one dated the day of the kidnapping, the other eight days later were payment.
Ms Pollett said Weller's role had been to pose as "Peter" a potential buyer who would lure Spencer to the Pakiri property with a story of needing to view it urgently before returning to Australia.
Weller, in the guise of "Peter", met Mr Spencer in the carpark of the Sawmill Cafe in Leigh, and followed him to the Pakiri property where they inspected the site and house before Weller requested to see inside the shed.
Mr Spencer would testify that he was confronted in the shed by four balaclava-clad men one carrying a knife, another a pistol. It was alleged that he was forced to strip naked below the waist and sit on a sheet of plastic one of the assailants had brought. Kroon had then entered carrying documents he ordered Mr Spencer to sign.
Mr Spencer had refused and was punched and kicked by one of the disguised men, injuring his ribs. He then signed, without seeing the content of the documents, and was then allowed to dress.
The Crown says the documents had the effect of giving Kroon a 50 per cent share of Mr Spencer's business profits, including from projects Kroon was not involved in.
Kroon and Weller deny the allegations. Kroon's lawyer has said his client admits meeting Spencer that day but denies any such events occurred.
