Matthew Roberts told the court he decided to read his statement in person so Anae would be forced to face him - “something you [Anae] have not had the courage to do”.
He spoke of Anae giving him “every excuse under the sun” to not complete the work on his home after demolishing his bathroom, leaving him without heat or running water in the midst of the second Covid-19 lockdown.
Roberts said his home was covered in holes, and he was forced to shower at the gym, or at friends’ houses – even occasionally at Anae’s house as the pair were neighbours.
“I spent winter in a house with holes in floors and walls it was impossible to heat,” he said.
“You dug up front and back garden, destroying both – there was not a part of my house that was unaffected.”
He said his health had been affected both physically and mentally, and the stress of Anae’s botched work was not something he would wish on anyone.
“You sold me a dream, and I ended up in a nightmare I could not wake from.”
He said he had not seen a cent of the thousands he paid Anae back and was curious as to where it went, as it quite obviously had not gone towards his home – but he was glad to see Anae in court finally.
“After today I will not give this or you another thought. I hope you have the life you deserve.”
Other victims spoke of the massive financial strain, the stress on their relationships with their family and the embarrassment of having been fooled by Anae.
They said the fake plumber presented well, and they felt secure he could do the work he promised only to be left thousands out of pocket, with damage to their home which costs thousands more to fix.
Judge Mika told the court when considering the penalty for Anae there were three aggravating factors which must be considered.
First, that premeditation was present – Anae has gone to all these victims and said he could complete work and then the work has not been completed. Second, the fact that Anae had pre-existing relationships with some of his victims – either neighbours or a friend of the family – meant his offending contained a breach of trust.
Thirdly, Judge Mika said the extent of the hard was significant – not just financial but emotional and in some cases, spiritual.
However he also noted there were factors for a discount – 25 per cent for a guilty plea to the charges and that at the time of the offending Anae was suffering a severe mental health breakdown for which he received counselling and medication.
This amounted to a further 15 per cent discount.
He ruled Anae must pay his victims a total of $57,297.06 at a rate of $100 per week.
Judge Mika noted that Anae is now employed full-time with 24/7 Plumbing after finishing a three-month probation period with the company.
He is on track to gain an apprenticeship which would see him possibly earning more money in future – at which point the reparation payments could be increased.
“A letter from 24/7 plumbing said Anae, to his credit, is doing really well and employers are looking forward to long and fruitful relationship with [Anae] and their company.”
