Bayley James Christensen was connected to four smash and grabs at jewellery stores in Auckland and Christchurch, making off with thousands of dollars worth of jewellery. Video / Supplied
A young man connected to four smash-and-grabs, targeting jewellery stores with hammers in daylight has been sent to jail.
The extent of Bayley James Christensen’s ties to the offending came to light when police found pictures on his phone of him with stacks of cash and messages of him boasting about the stolen jewellery.
The 20-year-old appeared at the Christchurch District Court today and sat in the dock smirking at his supporters, some of whom sniggered as one of his victims retold the terrifying story of teens smashing through her store.
The victim said she couldn’t find the words to describe the helplessness she felt when the youths burst in, fully masked and yelling threats while smashing the counter glass with hammers.
What took her and her husband 30 years to build up Christensen took away in two minutes.
She described Christensen and his associates as having a sense of entitlement to do what they pleased, despite her yelling at them 10 times to get out of her store.
She said two of the youths held her back while a third smashed through the store.
“This was a cowardly act on your part. You need to understand this feels like a home invasion for us,” she told Christensen.
The woman said a small part of her died that day and she now had to operate her business behind locked doors for her safety and protection. She also expressed her appreciation to police for their dedication.
Another victim of a smash-and-grab told the court she had never been so terrified in her life and was unable to move for fear of being killed or injured by the thieves’ hammers.
A ‘warped unreality’
Christensen pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, receiving stolen jewellery, burglary and possession of cannabis.
Christensen’s lawyer Stephen Hembrow said when he read the victim impact statements to his client, he “visibly paled” and went silent before asking: “Did we cause all that?”
Hembrow said Christensen was working on a farm in Canterbury and supporting his mother, but when he moved to Auckland and became involved with men who had gang connections, his offending started.
He said Christensen was under the influence of others during his offending and had a “warped unreality” that showed his inability to distinguish between right and wrong.
The trio of teens robbed Petersen's Jewellers in Christchurch in daylight and threatened a staff member with hammers. Photo / NZ Police
Hembrow said Christensen had been doing courses in prison where he had been remanded and was described as a “model prisoner”. He asked the judge to impose a sentence of four years imprisonment.
‘Complete mess’
Judge Stephen O’Driscoll told Christensen it was clear his offending had a “profound” effect on his victims, who had been traumatised.
“People should be able to go to shops and work and feel safe,” he told Christensen.
“At the age of 20, it is clear you have made a complete mess of your life.”
Judge O’Driscoll said Christensen had an “anti-social” childhood of dysfunction and disconnection and started using drugs at a young age.
He gave Christensen discounts for his youth, background and guilty pleas, resulting in an end sentence of five years’ imprisonment. No reparation was sought.
Bayley Christensen, 20, in the dock at Christchurch District Court for jewellery store heists in Auckland and Christchurch. Photo / Pool
He urged Christensen to use his time wisely while in prison and not become involved with gangs.
“You have made a huge mistake. Do not continue to make the same mistake after you’re released from prison and do not waste your time in prison.”
One of the store owners who was targeted told NZME he doesn’t feel as though the sentence truly reflects the crime and should have been at least seven years imprisonment.
“The amount of trauma and financial loss we went through was more than his sentencing. He has taken our 20 years of hard work and saving,” the man, who didn’t want to be named said.
Authorities said at the time that a group of thieves were forced to flee in two vehicles after fog cannons were activated inside the store.
Police said the group gained entry by smashing a side window, and jewellery cabinets inside the business were smashed.
During his arrest, police seized Christensen’s phone and found details of a heist targeting Southmall Jewellers in Manurewa on July 25 last year and another targeting a Michael Hill jewellery store in Newmarket on August 24, just a week before the Queen St Michael Hill store was burgled.
During the Manurewa heist, two offenders burst into the business about 2pm and made off with about $40,000 worth of jewellery after using hammers to smash the display cabinets, court documents stated.
The Newmarket break-in occurred just after 3.30am and involved five people who arrived and left in a stolen vehicle after smashing the front door and grabbing jewellery estimated to be worth nearly $715,000.
While the offenders were wearing gloves, face coverings and had their hoods up concealing their identities, details found on Christensen’s phone connected him to the offending.
Photos and social media activity showed he had been in possession of about $62,000 worth of the missing Newmarket jewellery and another $10,000 to $12,000 worth of merchandise taken from the Manurewa store.
“The defendant photographed the jewellery and made attempts to sell the jewellery via social media,” the police summary of facts stated.
“The defendant boasted via private messages about his criminal offending and being in possession of approximately $80,000 worth of jewellery.”
Christensen also photographed himself holding a large stack of cash and sent it to a friend, saying that he had made $10,000 from jewellery, police said.
He also messaged others saying he was going to buy a car, save for a house and was only going to stop once he made $50,000.
On August 30, at 2.45am Christensen and six others arrived at Michael Hill Jewellers on Queen St in Auckland in two stolen cars.
The group smashed their way through the store using hammers and other handheld tools, making off with more than $146,000 worth of jewellery after a fog cannon was activated.
On October 2 last year, Christensen and two others, one as young as 15, targeted Petersens Jewellers in Christchurch’s Merivale, making off with thousands of dollars worth of jewellery.
Christensen and an associate stole two cars from the Crown Plaza Hotel and an address in Linwood.
At 11.48am, Christensen and two others arrived at the jewellers and entered the building wearing face coverings and carrying recycling shopping bags and hammers.
The teens used the hammers to threaten the female staff member and smash jewellery cabinets while yelling at her to stay back.
Christensen tried to kick the woman, threatening her with the hammer when she got closer.
After loading the bags with 21 diamond rings, 15 gold bangles and bracelets, 16 gold chains, 10 pairs of diamond earrings and 15 pairs of gold earrings, the trio got back into the stolen vehicle and fled.
Emily Moorhouse is a Christchurch-based Open Justice journalist at NZME. She joined NZME in 2022. Before that, she was at the Christchurch Star.
