Investigators at the scene of the Newbrooks' house fire. Photo / Andrew Warner
Investigators at the scene of the Newbrooks' house fire. Photo / Andrew Warner
Within hours of Trevor and Rosemary Newbrook’s home being broken into, burgled and burnt down, William Tidd was at Rotorua pawn shops trying to hock off the stolen items.
Tidd has admitted he had in his possession nearly $20,000 worth of property stolen in February 2024 from the Newbrooks’ homeand another house on the same street.
Charges of arson and burglary against Tidd and a co-accused – Monique Gardiner, who has already been dealt with by the court – were earlier dropped by the Crown.
Court documents relating to the charges Tidd has now pleaded guilty to have just been released to the Rotorua Daily Post.
The charges include three of receiving stolen property – one of which related to the Newbrooks’ Sumner St home.
He has also pleaded guilty to assaulting a service station worker with a weapon, shoplifting from Farmers and unlawful possession of a firearm and explosives.
Trevor Newbrook is known in Rotorua as chairman of the Restore Rotorua lobby group, which campaigned against the proliferation of emergency housing motels in the city.
Newbrook told the Rotorua Daily Post this week the arson, burglary and loss of their personal belongings was not something they’d ever get over.
“For an older couple, it has completely changed our lives.”
Newbrook said it was disappointing no one was ever convicted for the burglary and arson of their home.
Investigators at the scene of the Newbrooks' house fire. Photo / Andrew Warner
Their home was broken into early on February 7. A window was jimmied and the burglar or burglars smashed an internal door of a rental property downstairs to reach the main house upstairs.
Jewellery, a pounamu mere (a greenstone traditional Māori weapon), cash, collector coins, bags, power tools and electronics were among items taken.
The value of the property was about $16,500.
The burglars set fire to the master bedroom and the walk-in pantry, causing significant damage. The fire was noticed just before 5am.
A police summary of facts said another house nearby was broken into the following night and designer handbags, wallets and several pieces of jewellery were stolen.
Tidd tried to sell items stolen from the Newbrooks at Rotorua Antiques and Collectables and Refinery on the afternoon of the house fire.
Between February 7 and February 11, he and Gardiner tried to dispose of the stolen items on several occasions.
Monique Gardiner appears in the Rotorua District Court for receiving stolen property from a house burgled and destroyed in a mysterious arson. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Police searched Tidd and Gardiner’s home on February 13 and found property stolen from the Newbrooks’ house and the other Sumner St home, collectively valued at more than $19,500.
They also found stolen property belonging to a woman who was the victim of a snatch-and-grab in Rotorua’s city centre on New Year’s Day 2024.
About 6.40pm on Hinemoa St, someone grabbed her handbag from behind. There was a tug-of-war and the offender eventually overpowered her and took the bag, according to a police summary.
Her iPhone, some cash and a wallet were among the items stolen.
Gardiner told police Tidd gave the items to her. She wondered if they had been stolen but continued to sell them anyway.
The summary said she claimed to not know anything about the burglaries and arson.
Tidd denied any wrongdoing or knowledge, saying the property was already at their house and that a gang member had been in his house.
Tidd was also found in possession of a .22 lever-action rifle, which had been wrapped in a korowai and hidden under a bed. Police also found a large box of ammunition in Tidd’s vehicle and more shotgun rounds inside the passenger door and inside his home.
Tidd also pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting a service station worker with a weapon about 9.30pm on June 29, 2023.
Police said Tidd racially abused the worker at Caltex on Te Ngae Rd when his card was declined.
When the worker asked him to leave, Tidd threw a bottle of water a him. It narrowly missed his head and smashed behind the counter.
The shoplifting charge related to bottles of fragrance stolen from Farmers on December 22, 2023, collectively valued at more than $400.
Gardiner was sentenced to 16 months in prison in November, but having already served time during the court process, has already been released.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
