KEY POINTS:
Two women with gambling debts staged a fake armed robbery that sparked a major police response so they could steal $13,500 from a bar.
Aroha Jackie Heemi, 26, called police about 5.30pm on April 6 and reported she had been robbed at the Azurat Sports Bar, in Greerton, Tauranga, where she was manager, by an intruder.
Police arrived on the scene minutes later, Tauranga District Court heard yesterday.
Heemi and Butler both pleaded guilty to a joint charge of theft. Heemi, who had no prior convictions, also admitted a charge of making a false statement that a crime had been committed stemming from her 111 call.
Heemi had told police she was about to lock the back door before closing when she was confronted by a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt, gloves and carrying a pistol.
She claimed she was ordered back into the bar area and the robber demanded money.
Heemi said she handed over $13,524 in bar takings and cash from gaming machines and the robber left via the back door.
Police viewed the bar's security camera tapes which showed a hooded person pointing a firearm at Heemi and her handing over cash in a canvas bag.
A large contingent of police were deployed to the scene to search the local area for the armed offender. However, early in the investigation, it became apparent to detectives there were inconsistencies in Heemi's statement.
Further enquiries over several days pointed to Heemi and her partner Gladys Rose Butler, 25, as having staged the robbery.
When interviewed, Heemi confessed she had lied and admitted Butler was the hooded person in the security tapes.
Heemi told police she had severe financial pressures and gambling debts which led to her and Butler planning the robbery.
She told police her share of the cash had been paid to people she was in debt to but out of fear would not reveal who they were.
Butler initially denied her involvement but when confronted with evidence, she confessed and said she also had pressing debts, including some from gambling.
She, too, refused to reveal who got the cash.
Butler told police the pistol used was a plastic toy gun which she had discarded along with the clothing she had worn.
Of the $13,524 stolen, $8764.89 came from gaming machines owned by NZ Community Trust.
In court yesterday, Butler and Heemi's lawyer Glenn Barnett argued before Judge Peter Rollo that given his clients' lack of prior convictions for dishonesty, the pair should be sentenced to community work.
Mr Barnett said both women were remorseful and wanted to apologise for wasting police time. He said both were undergoing counselling and were unemployed.
Mr Barnett said his clients can pay reparation at $60 a week each.
Judge Rollo said he was not certain a community work sentence was appropriate.
He said there was some degree of sophisticated effort by the women to carry out their fraudulent allegation and theft.
Judge Rollo said a pre- sentence report was required to ensure the court imposed the appropriate deterrent while satisfying the public interest requirement involved in such a crime.
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
