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A Hawke's Bay man has been jailed after a $14,000 demolition con job in Christchurch.
Hapeta Mathews, also known as Matthew Logan, convinced a Christchurch man that he had the contract to demolish the old Hillmorton Hospital buildings in Christchurch.
He approached Canterbury District Health Board about tendering for the work and so was able to have the plans, documents and keys to the buildings. He then advertised the demolition.
It all looked legitimate, and the victim handed over two payments totalling $14,000 for the work.
Eventually, Mathews was challenged by the health board's lawyer and could not produce any contract - only an application to tender.
Mathews, who had been working as a tiler in Hawke's Bay, was sent to jail for 20 months by Judge David Saunders in Christchurch District Court today and ordered to attend a programme to reduce his offending.
The judge was told Mathews had been offending for 13 years, with mainly dishonesty convictions on his record and a term in jail in 1999.
Mathews was also ordered to pay $14,000 reparations.
- NZPA
