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A former high-flying jewellery designer who once owned a studio in London’s Notting Hill has been found guilty of shoplifting and a petrol drive-off in Queenstown.
Fiona Rose Knapp, 54, whose online profile describes her as a designer of fine jewellery with an “established international clientele”, defended three charges of theft at a judge-alone trial in the Queenstown District Court today.
Two charges related to the theft of more than $500 worth of food, bottles of wine and other grocery items from New World Queenstown on January 5 and 11.
Foodstuffs store detective Lynley Gray said CCTV footage showed Knapp leaving the supermarket on both occasions without paying for the items.
Knapp could be seen placing some items into her trolley and others into several shopping bags, but at checkout, she had not paid for items concealed in the bags, Gray said.
Counsel Tanya Surrey said Knapp had returned some of the items to the shelves before going to checkout, because did not have enough funds to pay for them.
However, Gray said she had “watched every frame, more than once” of Knapp’s time in the store on both occasions, and was confident the defendant had not returned any items as claimed.
She could zoom in on the footage, and play it at quarter-speed, she said.
Prosecuting Sergeant Ian Collin presented CCTV footage from the BP Queenstown station on January 5 showing Knapp filling up her vehicle with $34.99 of petrol, then driving off without paying.
Fiona Rose Knapp has been found guilty of shoplifting and a petrol drive-off in Queenstown.
Surrey said it was simply an “oversight” by the defendant because she was tired and distracted, the petrol had subsequently been paid for.
Judge Mark Williams said the video footage from the supermarket and petrol station “clearly showed” her offending, and he found the defendant guilty on all charges.
Surrey initially asked for Knapp to be discharged without conviction, on the grounds that convictions could jeopardise her ability to find employment.
She had already lost work with a local jeweller as a result of “local publicity” arising from the charges.
However, Collin presented copies of news articles by the Otago Daily Times and another media outlet reporting Knapp and her husband had left several rental properties in the Wakatipu with thousands of dollars of rent owing.
Any application for a discharge without conviction would have to consider that negative publicity about the defendant was already in the public domain, he said.
In July, the Otago Daily Times reported Knapp and her husband had left a Speargrass Flat property owing thousands of dollars in rent.
A Tenancy Tribunal decision in January terminated the couple’s tenancy of the $2000-a-week property and ordered the payment of more than $16,000 in rent arrears and electricity charges.
After most of the debt remained unpaid six months later, the property’s owner took to social media to find out where the couple were living so legal documents could be served.
At least two other Wakatipu landlords have subsequently reported the couple leaving their rental properties with rent owing.
Judge Williams proceeded with sentencing after Surrey said Knapp had changed her mind about applying for a discharge.
Noting the defendant had one previous conviction for shoplifting in 1989, he entered the convictions and ordered Knapp to pay reparation of $544.51 to New World Queenstown.
