Michael Hill Queenstown jewellery store manager steals over $50,000

The manager of Queenstown's Michael Hill store stole cash and jewellery from his employer for more than two years. Photo / File

The manager of Queenstown's Michael Hill store stole cash and jewellery from his employer for more than two years before being dobbed in by suspicious colleagues.

The man, who has been granted final name suppression by Judge Russell Walker, was sentenced on charges of theft and theft by a person in a special relationship in Queenstown's court on Monday.

He became manager of the jewellery chain's resort branch after three years in charge of its store at a Christchurch shopping mall.

Suspicions about his activities were raised with company management last April by three co-workers, and he was suspended the following month, then resigned, after an internal investigation was launched.

After the company took the matter to police, an investigation found between February 2019 and last May, his offending included stealing jewellery, processing fictitious refunds, making refunds into personal bank accounts, giving customers personal account numbers to pay for jewellery, and misappropriating cash.

A total of $77,427.34 in cash and money transfers was misappropriated from the Queenstown and Christchurch stores.

On October 7 last year, cops searched his home and found 14 items of jewellery in his bedroom wardrobe, including diamond rings, wedding bands, gold chains, a necklace and earrings.

Among the items was a diamond ring he had listed for sale on Trade Me earlier last year.

The items, excluding the diamond ring, were valued at $18,030.

The final loss to the company was calculated at just over $50,000.

The defendant's lawyer, Bryony Shackell, said he had a serious gambling addiction.

He was extremely remorseful, and had proactively sought professional help to address his addiction.

A probation service report stated the defendant "felt sick" stealing the cash and had trouble sleeping throughout the period of his offending.

He told the report writer he had stolen from a business he loved, letting his addiction "completely overpower my morals and beliefs".

Walker told the defendant his offending had subsidised "a lifestyle you couldn't afford", and was a major breach of trust given his role as branch manager.

He gave discounts for his guilty plea, previous good character, offer to pay reparation, remorse, and prospects for rehabilitation, arriving at a term of 16 and a half months in prison, which he converted to eight months' home detention.

The defendant, who will be subject to post-detention conditions for six months, was ordered to pay the company $25,000 in reparation immediately, with the rate of payment of the balance to be decided after his financial position was established.

Walker said he was granting final name suppression on the grounds publication would be detrimental to his recovery from his gambling addiction and other mental health issues.