Extortion plot over ashes in stolen Mercedes

A Rotorua man has been sentenced to 400 hours' community work for his part in an attempted extortion involving a Mercedes which had a dead man's ashes in the boot.

William John Leathers, a 48-year-old truck driver, admitted a charge of being party to the blackmail, but denied knowing anything about the ashes. Another man is facing trial in September.

At Leathers' sentencing hearing, Justice Mark Cooper said the $64,000 car was stolen from a holiday home in Mt Maunganui by Leathers' associate in September 2006.

The judge said that two days later the distressed owner started receiving text messages from the associate.

"The initial messages informed the complainant that your associate knew where her vehicle was and made mention of her father's ashes."

Over the following days the woman received 245 text messages about the amount to be paid for the return of the car and where the hand-over was to take place.

Justice Cooper said that it was not until three days after the car was taken that Leathers became involved in the plan to extort money for the return of the vehicle.

"A figure of $8500 was agreed upon in exchange for the vehicle. The complainant received further texts warning her of the consequences of not complying with the agreed process, including the non-return of the green box which contained the ashes."

Undercover police were waiting at the rendezvous point in Tauranga.

The judge said that Leathers maintained that he did not become fully aware of the blackmail until they arrived in Tauranga and was really only "tagging along".

He had expressed remorse, particularly for the emotional harm of tampering with the victim's father's ashes.

"Indeed, you stated that if you had known the ashes were part of the blackmail, you would not have participated at all," Justice Cooper said.

Given Leathers' non-involvement in the initial theft of the vehicle, it was fair to say it was his associate who had caused the most harm to the victim, the judge said.