Rotorua robber was on parole and had cut off monitoring bracelet when he held up a vape store

The Vape Merchant store on Tutanekai St was the scene of an aggravated robbery. Photo / Andrew Warner

He was on parole when he cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet and held up Rotorua vape store workers at knifepoint, stealing $5500 in cash, cigarettes and tobacco.

Now he’s back in jail, as one of his “terrified” victims tries to heal the emotional and psychological scars they’re suffering from as a result of his actions.

But Walter Harris was told by a Rotorua District Court judge at his sentencing for the aggravated robbery that shops like the Vape Merchant and regions like Rotorua were vulnerable to people like him.

“It goes further than just what you take,” Judge Tony Snell told Harris this week.

“It’s the emotional and physical harm to those who are victims and the harm to everyone here in this region, because when this happens too much, these shops close down, and we see evidence of that on occasion in Rotorua [due to] this sort of offending.”

Judge Snell detailed the facts of the October 27 aggravated robbery of the Vape Merchant store on Tutanekai St, in the heart of Rotorua’s central business district.

He said two retail assistants had locked the front door and were preparing to leave the store at 5.45pm via the back entrance.

Harris was in a vehicle parked on Hinemoa St about 30 metres from a service lane that led to the shop’s back entrance. He covered his face and put a hood over his head.

He waited for the assistants to come out, then pulled out a large hunting knife and demanded they go back inside the store and unlock safes, Judge Snell said.

“You took a significant amount of cigarettes and tobacco in the bag you were carrying, and you also took approximately $5500 in cash.”

Harris drove off, stopping for petrol in Tīrau before driving to Hamilton.

Judge Snell said Harris had 35 convictions, 22 of which related to dishonesty offending such as burglaries and stealing cars. He also had convictions for aggravated robbery from 2011 and 2016.

Harris’ pre-sentence report said he was paroled on May 4 last year to the Pūwhakamua programme in Rotorua, which is a tikanga Māori-based rehabilitation and reintegration programme.

But on September 19 last year, after a failed drug test for methamphetamine and cocaine, Harris cut the electronic monitoring tracker from his leg and absconded.

After being arrested for the aggravated robbery at the Vape Merchant store, he was recalled to prison.

Harris’ cultural report noted he was separated from his family at the age of 5 and abused drugs at intermediate school.

“You have spent most of your life in prison … Your significant adverse childhood experiences, including neglect, parental abandonment and abuse, subsequent gravitation to substance abuse and anti-social peers and [offending have] led to the way you see the world to some degree.”

Judge Snell said he had just one victim impact statement as the other victim was in Australia and could not be contacted.

The statement said the victim was not injured, but she was “absolutely terrified”.

“She thought she was going to be stabbed.”

She suffered emotionally and psychologically, jumped at noises and could not wear headphones because she was conscious of needing to be able to hear if someone was sneaking up behind her. She also had to get counselling, Judge Snell said.

His prison sentence starting point of four and a half years was reduced by 45 per cent, taking into account his guilty plea, remorse, personal circumstances and time served in prison for his parole recall.

Harris was sentenced to two years, six months and three weeks in jail.

Judge Snell said that would be served after his current prison sentence ended.

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.