Kidnap accused is victim's business partner

Property developer Richard Kroon at the North Shore court yesterday. Picture / Dean Purcell

The man charged with kidnapping Auckland property developer Kim Spencer has been named as his wealthy associate Richard Kroon.

Kroon, 52, and another man were arrested late last month after a nine-month investigation into the kidnapping of Mr Spencer at Pakiri, north of Auckland.

Kroon and Mr Spencer were in business together developing land at Pakiri when Mr Spencer was allegedly lured to a multimillion-dollar property by a man posing as a potential buyer.

At the property, several armed men told him his business behaviour was unacceptable and that he had to sign over everything he owned. He received moderate injuries during the ordeal.

Kroon and his co-accused are charged with kidnapping, using a firearm and injuring with intent, and face two charges of demanding with menaces. The last two charges allege that Mr Spencer was forced to sign documents which were capable of conferring on another party a share of profits from the Spencer businesses.

Both men were granted name suppression after their first court appearances, Kroon in the North Shore District Court and his co-accused in the Palmerston North District Court.

Yesterday, Kroon decided not to pursue name suppression when he appeared in the North Shore District Court for the second time.

His lawyer, Guyon Foley, said Kroon, who has been remanded on bail until next month for a pre-depositions hearing, would plead not guilty.

Kroon developed the award-winning Chancery boutique shopping centre in central Auckland with former developer Mark Lyons.

Mr Spencer was prominent in dairy farming but was bankrupted in 1997. He became a property developer after being discharged from his bankruptcy.