Rotorua man jailed for blackmailing pensioner

A  pensioner has been robbed of his retirement savings by a Rotorua man who blackmailed him, threatening to expose unsavoury information he claimed to have about him.
Although he did not recall having any previous contact with Campbell Christianson-Knight, the 76-year-old victim paid him several large sums. However, after the demands continued he confided in his wife  and the police were called.
In the High Court at Rotorua on Monday, Christianson-Knight, 38, unemployed, of Rotorua, was sentenced to two years and six months' imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to two charges of blackmail.
Justice Graham Lang ordered the sentences be served concurrently.
He also ordered Christianson-Knight to make reparation of $8000 at $50 a week once he is released from prison.
However, the judge said there was little likelihood Christianson-Knight would be able to repay the full amount.
"Your victim will never be able to replace that money. You have ruined his retirement," Justice Lang told Christianson-Knight.
Since being blackmailed, the victim, from New Plymouth, no longer trusted anybody and was wary of walking outside in case he encountered Christianson-Knight or his associates. To a large degree he had lost his confidence.
The judge said Christianson-Knight had  also been convicted in Australia on an extortion charge and jailed for three years.

Outlining the case against Christianson-Knight, Justice Lang said his victim had twice driven to banks to withdraw the $4000 demanded of him.
The second time Christianson-Knight contacted his victim, he did so by tracing his address from a document he stole from the elderly man's car and used to trace his telephone number.
He again threatened to release information he claimed to know about the man.
"You indicated to the complainant that this would bring the matter to finality but on two further occasions you telephoned him and again attempted to extort funds from him," Justice Lang said.
After a second call on July 7 the victim confided in his wife.
"It was no doubt at her prompting the police were called," Justice Lang said.
Three weeks later, Christianson-Knight had been found in Rotorua where he admitted pressuring the man for money, claiming he had done so because he had been living with people who made him feel financially inadequate and his actions would prove  that he was a successful person. At the time of his offending he had been using drugs and alcohol.
Although Christianson-Knight had entered an early guilty plea, saving his victim the trauma of giving evidence at a trial, he was on bail when he offended.
Justice Lang noted Christianson-Knight claimed he had only received $8000 from his victim, although the man said the amount extorted from him was nearer $13,000.