One of a group of people charged over a $750,000 high-end couture burglary at world famous fashion designer Dame Trelise Cooper's styling room has pleaded guilty.
Only "one lonely hanger" was left from Cooper's entire 2021 spring and summer samples after the break-in at her office in Newmarket last October.
Today, a 42-year-old man and two of his co-accused appeared in the Auckland District Court before Judge Eddie Paul. The court heard from the judge some 2000 garments, worth $750,000, were stolen - higher than the previously believed 1800 items valued at $500,000.
The man pleaded guilty to three charges, including burglary and a representative charge of obtaining by deception, but still cannot be named after his lawyer Katrina Hamblin sought continued name suppression.
Judge Paul declined to maintain suppression for the man and a 45-year-old cake decorator, charged with receiving stolen property, this afternoon. He said the "seriousness of this offending speaks for itself", while the desire to end harmful suspicions and social media rumour of an "inside job" by Cooper's staff was also a factor in his decision.