Courier stealing parcels caught on camera | Bay of Plenty News | Local News in Bay of Plenty

Michael Tuhakaraina was a valued employee trusted to sort and deliver courier parcels around the Bay.

But he betrayed that trust and helped himself to $23,000 worth of tools and electronic equipment.

Tuhakaraina, 21, of Te Puna, began working for Post Haste Couriers in May 2011 and his job involved arriving at the Birch Ave depot in the early hours of the morning to sort packages and parcels, before making drop-offs at various locations.

After several months on the job, the firm's manager discovered many items that had arrived at the depot for delivery were not being received at their intended destination.

Security cameras were positioned throughout the depot and notices were posted advising all staff that the cameras were operating 24 hours a day and security footage was reviewed.

It revealed that on 13 occasions between August 2 and September 2, 2011, Tuhakaraina was captured stealing a variety of items worth $23,049.

The list of items stolen included nine laptops valued at more than $10,000, four nailguns worth $4000, a $1000 Samsung 32-inch flatscreen TV, and two Apple Macbooks valued at nearly $5000.

What started with Tuhakaraina stealing one laptop on August 2 soon escalated to three nailguns on August 25 and four laptops on September 1.

On August 25, security camera footage for the day captured Tuhakaraina taking three packages containing three nail guns sent from a Matamata hardware firm, valued at $1000 each.

After placing them in rubbish bags, he placed some rubbish on top and then took his booty outside.

On September 1, Tuhakaraina was recorded taking four HP DV6 laptops worth $5400 before hiding them outside.

Police conducted numerous inquiries to find Tuhakaraina after he was dismissed, which proved unsuccessful.

On November 3, they finally found him at his Te Puna home, but he refused to make a statement.

None of the stolen items have been recovered.

Tuhakaraina, who earlier pleaded guilty to 13 charges of theft in a special relationship, was sentenced to four months' home detention and 160 hours' community work in Tauranga District Court yesterday.

Each charge attracts a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

His lawyer, Peter Attwood, told Judge Louis Bidois that Tuhakaraina was "highly ashamed and remorseful".

Tuhakaraina also appreciated how his employer feels in having their business reputation "dragged through the mud".

He said Tuhakaraina was committed to paying back what he stole.

Judge Bidois told Tuhakaraina the starting point for anyone "who rips off their employer" this way, which was a significant breach of trust, must be imprisonment.

Judge Bidois said the aggravating features to Tuhakaraina's offending were not only the amount of the financial loss to Post Haste and the fact that he had let then down "but the victim was also obliged to put things right with their suppliers, causing significant distress and impact to their reputation", the judge said.

Given Tuhakaraina's lack of prior relevant convictions and other mitigating factors, Judge Bidois said he was prepared to step back from a prison sentence. The judge also ordered him to pay $23,049 reparation and warned him that any failure to comply with his home detention or if he stole again it would inevitably result in a prison sentence.

Post Haste's general manager was unable to be contacted for comment in time for this edition.

Items stolen by Tuhakaraina

A $1000 Samsung 32-inch flatscreen TV
Two Apple Macbooks valued at $4590
An Apple i-Mac valued $1838
Four Compaq laptops worth $3488
Five HP DV6 laptops valued at $6529
Four nailguns worth $4000
A Black 8-gigabtye iPod valued at $312
A Samsung 500gb Sata drive valued $307
A $189 digital external hard drive,
An 16gb Apple iPad Wifi valued $796