A man who sold items through Facebook Marketplace, including a caravan that didn't belong to him, is now back in prison. Photo / 123RF
A man who sold items through Facebook Marketplace, including a caravan that didn't belong to him, is now back in prison. Photo / 123RF
Gareth Eyre listed caravans, a trailer and a horse float for sale on Facebook Marketplace - except none of the items belonged to him.
He’d seen them parked on the roadside, listed them for sale and then took the money from unsuspecting buyers who turned up to collect their purchases and met only bewildered owners.
One of the victims was a 14-year-old who’d worked hard over the summer to save enough for a caravan he wanted as a “spare bedroom”, and was devastated by the loss of his $1500, Judge Jan Kelly told the Nelson District Court.
Eyre, 32, has 67 previous convictions for burglary, violence, sexual offending and dishonesty. He told police he’d done it to pay off a $15,000 drug debt.
Eyre is now back behind bars for the next eight months after the offending in January this year that happened shortly after he’d been released from prison for similar crimes.
He’d earlier pleaded guilty to two charges of accessing a computer for dishonesty purposes and two charges of obtaining by deception.
Defence lawyer John Sandston said Eyre was sorry for letting himself down, and that a “long-held, out-of-control meth habit” was behind the offending.
He said Eyre had been receptive to the Restorative Justice process, whereby he could have apologised to his victims face-to-face, but he understood why they “probably didn’t want to meet him”.
A man with 67 previous convictions is back in prison after selling items on Facebook Marketplace that didn't belong to him. Photo / 123RF
On January 23 this year Eyre listed a trailer he’d seen parked on the side of the road for sale on Facebook Marketplace for $400.
He didn’t own the trailer and didn’t have permission to sell it, the police summary of facts said.
That evening, about 8.30pm the person who’d seen the advertisement arrived to buy the trailer. He knocked on the door of hte nearby house and was met by the owner of the trailer who was shocked that someone had turned up to buy it.
Eyre, who was watching from his vehicle parked nearby, saw the interaction and drove off.
The person who had responded to the advertisement reported what happened to the police.
On the same day, Eyre listed a caravan for sale on Facebook Marketplace for $1500. He didn’t own it and didn’t have permission to sell it.
A teenager arranged to pick it up that day. They met at an address in central Nelson and Eyre was handed $1500 before he drove off.
The victim knocked on the door of a nearby house to say he wanted to tow the caravan but was told by the person who answered the door that it was their caravan.
Judge Kelly told the court the teen’s parents said he had worked hard over the Christmas break and had saved enough money to buy the caravan.
“Your offending has left their son devastated. He has lost all trust in people, and was left wondering how you could have taken the money he worked so hard for,” Judge Kelly told Eyre who appeared in court via video link.
On January 30 this year Eyre listed a horse float for sale for $2250.
He sold it for $2025 and once the money was deposited into his bank account, the purchaser drove to Blenheim, towing the float.
The police summary noted the person who bought it saw a post on social media saying the float had been stolen, so contacted the original owner.
The float was uplifted by police and taken to a secure location.
The original owner of the float has not been able to pick it up and it remained in Blenheim, the police said.
On the same day, Eyre also advertised a caravan for sale on Facebook Marketplace for $2500.
He met a “buyer” outside an address in Tahunanui where it was parked on the road.
While they were negotiating a price a man asked what they were doing with his caravan, then told them he was the owner.
Eyre drove off.
On January 31 one of the victims recognised Eyre and followed him, before contacting the police and telling them of his whereabouts. Eyre was arrested a short time later.
He was found with $899 and admitted what he’d done to help pay off a $15,000 drug debt.
Judge Kelly acknowledged Eyre’s early guilty pleas had saved the victims from having to give evidence, but aggravating features were his extensive criminal history and that he’d offended while still subject to special release conditions.
He was convicted and sentenced to eight months in prison on each charge.
Reparation of $1500 was sought for the caravan purchase, plus $2025 by the person who’d bought the float and driven it to Blenheim, and $619 was sought by the float’s real owner now unable to get it back to Nelson.
Judge Kelly said Eyre didn’t have the means to pay reparation, but she ordered forfeiture of the $899 he was found with, which was to be distributed to the victims on a pro-rata basis.
