A man jailed for killing his flatmate - hiding his body parts around an Auckland property and trying to convince his family he was still alive - will be released on parole.
James Grant Cooper, who killed 25-year-old Javed Mills in 2009, will be released in July.
He will be subject to electronic monitoring for three months, a strict 8pm to 6am curfew and has been forbidden from contacting Mills' family.
In April 2009, Mills left his rural Auckland home hoping to become a rock star. Less than three months later he was dead.
But his family were not to find out his fate until a detective knocked on their door almost three years later.
Mills' incomplete skeleton was found at a property in the Auckland suburb of Mt Wellington in Auckland in September 2011 as demolition work was scheduled to begin.
Cooper, his former flatmate, was later charged with murder.
Cooper never disputed his involvement in the death and pleaded guilty to covering it up, but denied murder and claimed he killed Mills accidentally in self-defence.
In August 2013, Cooper was found not guilty of murder - but guilty of his manslaughter. He was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison.
The Herald can reveal he has been released on parole, after being denied in 2017 and 2016.
Cooper, now 30, appeared before the Parole Board on June 18 and will be released in July.
Board convenor Martha Coleman said at earlier appearances before the board Cooper was "frustrated with the failure of the prison to make offence-focused treatment available to him".
At this month's hearing a psychological report was presented to the board stating Cooper had undertaken significant counselling which would continue in the community after his release.
The report said Cooper "has good insights into his offending" and had a "realistic" relapse prevention plan.
Coleman said the issue for the board was whether Cooper needed to complete counselling in prison or "whether that could be continued once he was in the community".
"The Board had some concerns about the adequacy of his safety planning but decided that this was better to be completed with input from his probation officer when in the community," Coleman said in the parole decision.
The board agreed to grant parole, subject to standard and special conditions of release for six months past Cooper's statutory release date.
"One of those conditions is that he will be subject to tightly controlled residential restrictions for at least the first three months of his release," said Coleman.
"Those restrictions will remain in place until he comes back to the board for a face to face hearing… by the end of September 2018 at the latest.
"The board expects by then that he will have completed his safety planning with the probation officer and he will need to discuss that with the board at that hearing.
"The board can consider then whether residential restrictions or any other form of monitored curfew would need to remain in place."
Coleman said other conditions had been put in place to enable Cooper to continue the psychological treatment he started in prison.
Inside he had three out of 10 required sessions.
"He will also be required to undertake an alcohol and drug assessment," said Coleman.
"Grief counselling may also be appropriate for Mr Cooper.
"Mr Cooper was advised at today's hearing that he will not be able to possess or consume alcohol or drugs, and that his compliance with that condition can be monitored once in the community."
Cooper's special conditions include:
to attend an alcohol and drug assessment, and attend, participate in and complete any treatment or counselling directed by a probation officer;• to attend a psychological assessment and attend, participate in, and complete any recommended treatment as directed by a probation officer;• to attend, participate in, and complete any other treatment or counselling as directed by a probation officer• not to possess, use, or consume alcohol, controlled drugs or psychoactive substances except controlled drugs prescribed for him by a health professional.
Cooper must also live at an approved address and cannot move from there without direct permission from his probation officer.
The board also ordered him not to have contact or association with any victim of his offending - directly or indirectly - without prior written approval of a probation officer.
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James Grant Cooper, who pretended victim was aliven to be released on parole
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High risk offender set to be released
A former Black Power president with two murder convictions and a high risk of re-offending is due to be released on parole this month.
Denis Richard Luke has spent the last 21 years in prison for orchestrating the murder of New Plymouth man Christopher Crean in 1996.
The murder was payback for the victim giving evidence to police on a Black Power assault he witnessed.
At the time of the killing, Luke was on parole for another murder committed in the early 1970s.
Special conditions of parole mean Luke is unable to enter Taranaki, or contact Black Power members, without approval of a probation officer.
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Home detention for spiritual cleansing indecency
A self-proclaimed Napier spiritual medium, who indecently assaulted a teenage boy who sought his guidance, has been sentenced to eight months' home detention and ordered to do 100 hours' community work.
Craig Wright, 35, denied the charge at a trial in Napier District Court last month but was found guilty and was back in court yesterday for sentencing before Judge Bridge Mackintosh.
Mackintosh noted victims of such offences, in this case a teenage male half the defendant's age, felt unable to seek help because of embarrassment and their own confusion.
The offence happened in what Wright regarded as a "ritual cleansing" and which took place over about four hours in the victim's own bedroom on May 6 last year, when the victim was aged 17.
Wright had decided the cleansing was necessary to remove an "entity attachment" and went into the youth's bedroom, pouring salt on the doorway as he entered and closed the door, before lighting a candle, and getting the youth to lie on his bed.
During the consultation Wright touched the youth's genitals by cupping his hands over the youth's penis, and got the teenager to touch Wright's own penis.
Among aggravating factors highlighted by Crown prosecutor Cameron Stuart was that Wright continued to deny the offence and showed no remorse.
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How brave Kiwi woman used Facebook to catch her own rapist
Days after a woman was followed by a stranger and violated twice in a darkened Dunedin alleyway, she turned the tables on her attacker.
She tracked him down online.
And she ensnared her own rapist.
Yesterday at the Dunedin District Court, Nyal Heke (30) was jailed for nearly 10 years, reports Otago Daily Times.
The victim, who has permanent name suppression, was given his name by friends who had seen him hanging around her on the night of February 12 last year in Dunedin's CBD.
It took little effort to find the 30-year-old on Facebook.
The victim had already been to police and knew there was little likelihood of DNA evidence being found, since she had showered after the ordeal.
"I realised it would just be my word against his," the woman told the Otago Daily Times.
"I thought 'there's no harm in trying'. I didn't know I was going to get a reply."
She messaged Heke claiming not to have gone to police, asking why he had raped her and demanding an apology.
Less than nine hours later she got one.
"I'm really sorry I won't ever do [that] again," Heke responded.
And with that it became her word, and his own words, against him.
The jury took little time in finding Heke guilty of two counts of rape and Judge Michael Crosbie imposed a minimum non-parole period of 50% — a prison term of nine years nine months; necessary for "community protection and deterrence".
Heke had been on parole at the time of the offending and had two previous convictions for indecent assaults in 2005 and 2006, the court heard.
He had approached the woman about 5am in Dunedin's Exchange and asked if she would go home with him.She said no — the first of numerous rejections.
The victim suggested she should walk up High St past the casino and Heke would go a different way home.
CCTV showed her following the plan.
But Heke was recorded walking round the back of the casino, heading in the same direction.
"You ducked around on the other side," Judge Crosbie said.
"In a premeditated fashion you followed her, if not stalked her."
Heke made several passes at the woman as he pursued her up the hill, and she continually rebuffed him.
The defendant ushered her into a bushed walkway where he struck.
The judge described Heke's acts as "degrading".
The victim showered twice a day for a long time afterwards because she felt so dirty.
"That night I always replay in my head. I wish I'd run away or screamed ... but no-one was around, no-one would've heard," she told the ODT.
"I was just too scared. I just froze. I didn't want to end up dead."
She relished proving Heke's guilt at trial and said only genuine contrition would provide some relief.
The court though heard yesterday the man maintained his innocence.
"You remain of the opinion you are not guilty and you engaged in consensual sexual relations, and you don't know why she's done this to you," Judge Crosbie said.
Heke, though, accepted he "didn't treat her right" but put this down to his lack of experience in approaching women and poor role-modelling growing up.The judge said the situation was simple.
"No means no, Mr Heke," he said.
"She was entitled to feel safe and you preyed on her."
Heke's last prison term, for which he was still on parole during the sex attack, was a seven-and-a-half year stretch for wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
In 2010, he burst into a fellow inmate's cell and threw a jug of boiling water at him. Then he and three others set upon the man — also a sex offender — with metal shanks, inflicting 25 stab wounds.
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'Hero cop' dodges prison over $283k in unpaid taxes
A former Auckland cop has narrowly avoided prison after dodging nearly $300,000 in tax, while also trying to hide details of his offending the Weekend Herald can reveal.
Gregory Raymond Fallon, 42, was convicted and sentenced yesterday in the Auckland District Court by Judge Nicola Mathers to nine months' home detention and 150 hours' community work.
To avoid a prison term, the starting point set by Judge Mathers, the ex-constable relied heavily on his previous good standing in the community and his early guilty plea to 44 charges of tax evasion to have his sentence reduced.
The maximum penalty was a five year prison stint.
Fallon's police career, which he served over two separate periods, was largely as a member of the Eagle helicopter crew and on police motorbikes.
He first made headlines in 2003 when he was one of two officers to leap from the helicopter to save a drowning couple, who had been lost at sea near Rangitoto Island.
He has also been credited with saving "many lives" as a surf lifesaver and placed his police career on hold to help with the Christchurch earthquake rebuild.
However, Fallon's dramatic fall from grace came when he said he made the "grave mistake" of trying to run a business and be a police officer at the same time.
Constable Greg Fallon, photographed in 2003 following a water rescue near Rangitoto Island. Photo / File
The Weekend Herald can now reveal he has twice failed to pay large sums of tax owed by his two companies.
And total amount evaded during his 27 months of offending was just over $283,600.
He was the sole director and shareholder of Asbestos Management New Zealand Limited, incorporated on June 8, 2015.
In September 2016, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) told Fallon, who was solely in charge of his company's finances and wages, that it was conducting an audit.
Fallon's company had failed to file any GST or pay as you earn (PAYE) returns, while he had also failed to file his personal income tax return during the past year.
In December 2016, Fallon filed some of the outstanding tax returns and the next month told IRD he intended to file all the returns but just didn't have time.
"It was low [on my] priority list ... and [I] just ran out of time," he said, having also re-joined the police after leaving the force in 2013.
In March 2017, IRD sent Fallon a letter expressing concerns about his continual failure to file tax returns and asked for a reason why he shouldn't be prosecuted.
Fallon again replied that he was too busy and over committed with work to adhere to his tax obligations.
He said he'd hired a new tax agent to manage the day to day running of his business.
At another meeting in May 2017 with IRD, Fallon said he had no intention to conduct a dishonest business and feared that a prosecution would destroy his police career.
IRD gave Fallon a month to present a plan to repay the owed tax, but he failed to do so.
A final chance was given to the police officer on October 2 last year, but he again failed to make a single voluntary repayment.
Even after he was charged and pleaded guilty, Fallon still did not attempt to pay back the tax, Judge Mathers said.
Since then he has made a voluntary payments of $20,000, while his company is about the be placed into voluntary liquidation.
A glum-looking Greg Fallon during his sentencing in the Auckland District Court yesterday. Photo / Michael Craig
It was not the first time Fallon had issues with IRD, however, and first had tax problems when the sole director and shareholder of Villa Renovations Limited.
From 2008 to 2014 the company filed 50 tax returns, but only four were filed on time and none were filed between April 2014 and January 2016, when the company was removed from the companies office register.
Some $60,000 of unpaid tax from the renovation company has been written off, deemed to be unrecoverable by IRD.
As police and the Weekend Herald learned of Fallon's offending, both sought access to court documents - but Fallon objected.
He said the circumstances had chanced since he pleaded guilty and allowing police and the press to view the files would be detrimental to him and his business prospects.
However, Judge Mathers did not think it was appropriate for Fallon to "be seeking to renegotiate the summary of facts" after his admission of guilt.
Fallon's counsel, Tamina Cunningham-Adams, said her client appreciates he did nothing when he should have done something.
Inspector Jim Wilson, the relieving District Commander for Auckland City Police, said Fallon quit in last month.
Judge Mathers said Fallon had "quite rightly resigned as a police officer" but did not consider his past career as an aggravating feature.
"You buried your head in the sand because of the share situation you found yourself in."
A police employment investigation was due to commence following the outcome of the court proceedings, however, there will now be no internal investigation because of Fallon's resignation.
Fallon is now working as a motorcycle instructor.
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Former Black Power president to be released on parole
A former Black Power president with two murder convictions and a high risk of re-offending is due to be released on parole this month.
Special conditions of parole mean Denis Richard Luke is unable to enter Taranaki, or contact Black Power members, without approval of a probation officer.
Luke has spent the last 21 years in prison for orchestrating the murder of New Plymouth man Christopher Crean in 1996.
The murder was payback for the victim giving evidence to police on a Black Power assault he witnessed.
At the time of the killing, Luke was on parole for another murder committed in the early 1970’s.
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Invercargill shooter still at large - Police
The person who shot a 52-year-old man in Invercargill yesterday is still at large, police say.
The victim of the shooting is now out of surgery and in a stable condition. He was found with a gunshot wound on Kelvin Street at around 9.15am yesterday morning.
Southern police said they were still in the early stages of their investigation, and the offender had not been located.
The Armed Offenders Squad was called yesterday as a precaution, but police have since said there was no threat to public safety following the shooting.
Officers were interviewing several witnesses to the incident.
Invercargill resident Caitlin Barton said yesterday that she saw a man lying on the footpath as she drove to work.
"He was lying flat as if he had slipped on ice and had a back injury," she said.
"Lots of people were crowding around him and an ambulance came flying past me...I didn't think it was a shooting until I saw it on Facebook."
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Auckland bank robbed by man with hidden weapon
Police are asking for information after a bank was robbed in Auckland this afternoon.
A man, described as being 20 to 25 years old, handed a note to a teller at the ANZ Bank in Henderson's West City Mall demanding money, before lifting up his jacket to show a black pistol tucked into his waistband.
The teller remained calm and handed over an undisclosed amount of money.
The offender ran out of the mall through a door leading to the underground carpark on Edsel Street.
Prior to the robbery, the offender spent about 10 minutes in the mall's second-floor toilets.
Police have released the above CCTV image of the offender
Police say the man is about 6-foot tall, of solid build and clean shaven. He was wearing an olive green jacket with a black hoody underneath, black pants, grey beanie, sunglasses and work boots.
Customers in the bank at the time were unaware that a robbery took place.
Anyone who might have information about the man are asked to contact the Waitemata Crime Squad on 09 839 0697 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 55 111.
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Teenager charged over Woodend murder
Christchurch Police have charged a teenager with murder, following the death of a man at a rural Canterbury property last week.
Police have identified the body as that of 20-year-old Oliver Johnston, also known as Oliver Greene.
Christchurch Police were told on Thursday a man's body had been found at a house on Jelfs Road in the small community of Woodend, north of the city.
READ MORE:Christchurch Police investigating serious assaultBody found in Christchurch homicide investigation
Police initially couldn't find the body, but did find evidence at the address that a very serious assault had taken place.
The following day they located the body of Mr Johnston, and yesterday, arrested and charged an 18-year-old man with murder.
He'll appear in the Christchurch District Court this morning.
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Police launch homicide inquiry after two year's body found
A 32-year-old man has been charged with murder following the death of a two-year-old girl in the Rangitaiki River last night.
About 6pm last night Whakatāne police were called to the Matahina Dam area, following the report of a 2-year-old missing in the Rangitaiki River.
Last night police were told a person went into Lake Matahina with the young child. An adult was found at the location, but the child couldn't be immediately found.
After an extensive search and rescue operation the body of the child was located in the river about 11pm.
Lake Matahina is in the Whakatāne district, between Kawerau and Taneatua.
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Two arrested after large brawl at Auckland rugby league match
A "large brawl" which broke out at a league club saw two people arrested and a number of people hospitalised.
The police were called to the Hibiscus Coast Raiders Rugby League and Sports Club in Whangaparaoa about 4 pm on Saturday to reports of a large brawl.
A police spokeswoman said a number of people were treated in hospital for moderate to minor injuries.
The fight broke out during a game between Hibiscus Coast and the Mt Wellington Warriors.
A post on the club's Facebook page said they were not making any public statements while police were investigating."It is important that we support those that received injuries at the moment," the post read."The police have requested any video footage or photos that anyone has taken."
The Mt Wellington Warriors Rugby League Club refused to comment.
Auckland Rugby League said it was also unable to comment except to say the judicial process was underway.
Police said two men were arrested on "assault-type" charges.
A 27-year-old male is due to appear in North Shore District Court on July 5 and a 26-year-old male is due to appear on July 6.
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Murder-accused teen appears in court over Woodend murder
A teenager has appeared in court after a young man's body was found on a Canterbury lifestyle block during a two-day police hunt.
The 18-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Oliver Johnston, aka Oliver Greene, a 20-year-old from Christchurch.
The charge alleges the murder happened between June 23 and June 28.
The teen's parents were in court this morning when he appeared via audio visual link from custody.
Judge Paul Kellar granted interim name suppression on grounds of extreme hardship and preservation of fair trial rights after an application by defence counsel James Rapley. Name suppression would have to be argued more fully at the next appearance, the judge said.
The teen was remanded without plea in custody to the High Court on July 20.
Rapley indicated that he would apply for bail before that date, highlighting that the accused was only 18.
Police confirmed Johnston was found at the rural Woodend Beach property 20kms north of Christchurch on Saturday.
Detectives rushed to the Jelfs Rd property on Thursday after reports a body was there.
But it took them two days, and intense specialist searches, before they discovered it.
Police are continuing the investigation and scene examination.
Johnston's family has asked for privacy.
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Woodend Beach death: Oliver Johnston was a good kid who had 'lost his way in life'
Christchurch murder victim Oliver Johnston was a good kid who had "lost his way in life".
The body of 20-year-old former St Andrew's College pupil Johnston, aka Oliver Greene, was found at a Woodend Beach lifestyle block on Saturday.
He had been seriously assaulted the previous weekend, police said.
An 18-year-old Canterbury teen has been charged with murdering him between June 23 and June 28.
His parents were at Christchurch District Court this morning where he was granted interim name suppression and remanded in custody without plea to appear at the High Court on July 20.
Detectives rushed to the Jelfs Rd property on Thursday after reports a body was there.
But it took them two days, and intense specialist searches, before they finally discovered it.
A former schoolmate of Johnston is shocked by his friend's death."I was talking to Ollie two weeks ago," said the friend, who wished to remain anonymous."He'd just moved into a flat and seemed in a good space."
Johnston was a keen outdoors man who loved treks and biking. He'd been in the St Andrew's College road cycling team.
He was described as "very independent" but someone who had "got lost along the way" in the life.
He'd been hitch-hiking a lot recently around the South Island on his own."Ollie was obviously just a lost guy. But I can't believe this has happened to him. He was a great guy. It's just the worst news ever," the friend said.
His family did not wish to comment.
Today, there was still a large police presence, and cordon, around the Jelfs Rd property, with officers still piecing together their case.
Horses graze in the front paddocks and across the road is Birchbrook Equestrian Centre.
Woodend Beach and its surrounds is a popular area for horse riders and trainers.
Locals are shocked by the homicide probe."It's not what you expect to see. It kind of makes you feel sick," one said.
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Arrests made in relation to Mt Albert shooting and robbery
Two people have been arrested in relation to the shooting of a 37-year-old and an armed robbery which police believe to be related incidents.
Detective Senior Sergeant Glenn Baldwin, Investigations Manager of the Auckland City Western Area, said police responded to reports of gunshots on Carrington Rd, Mt Albert, about 6.20am on Thursday morning.
At about the same time, a 37-year-old man was dropped off at Auckland Hospital with gunshot wounds.
On Friday night a group armed with weapons entered an address in Carrington Rd and stole several items of property.
Baldwin said police believed these incidents were linked and an investigation has been started.
On June 25, police arrested and charged a 36-year-old man in relation to the aggravated burglary in Carrington Rd.
He has also been charged in relation to a number of other unrelated matters and has been remanded in custody.
He is next due to appear in Auckland District Court on July 16.
Earlier today, police charged a 47-year-old man in relation to the shooting, which occurred 11 days earlier.
He has been charged with commission of a crime with a firearm and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and appeared in court today.
Police appreciate this has been a concerning time for the residents in this area and would like to thank the community for their assistance and support in this matter."We hope these arrests offer some comfort and reassurance to the community," Baldwin said."We'd like to remind anyone who is aware of any unlawful activity to contact us as soon as possible."Gang and organised crime activity will not be tolerated in our community, and when we all work together we have a much better opportunity to hold those responsible to account.""If you have any information regarding criminal activity, you can contact your local police station or information can be provided anonymously to crime stoppers on 0800 555 111."
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Meth man scoffed the evidence as police raided his home
A man who tried to eat his methamphetamine stash while police searched him has been ordered to attend treatment to address his dependency issues.
Harley Allan Mathieson, 31, arrived home on November 23 to find police executing a search warrant at his Dunedin home.
He got back in the car to leave but was ordered to remain at the scene.
As he was being searched, Mathieson grabbed a plastic bag from the vehicle, thrust it into his mouth and tried to swallow it.
Police intervened and the defendant spat out the package, which contained a small amount of the class A drug.
A search of his car turned up a pipe for smoking the methamphetamine, digital scales and a pocket knife.
Mathieson subsequently pleaded guilty to possession of the drug, the pipe, the weapon and wilful obstruction of the police officer.
He was also sentenced on a charge of vehicle conversion, from a month earlier, which had prompted the police visit to his home.
On the night of October 20, Mathieson and partner Mindy Johnston picked up Dean Corvette Eric Webber from Brighton and took him to General Tyres Ltd where he worked.
The duo dropped Webber off near the South Dunedin business and waited.
Their co-offender, who had memorised the access codes to the premises got in and spent some time moving vehicles around the workshop so he could get to a jet ski - worth more than $50,000 - stored in a back room.
After putting it on a trailer and hitching that to a work vehicle, he drove out to the forecourt and replaced all the other vehicles inside the property.
The trio then travelled in convoy to Green Island before piling in with Webber and heading north.
Using fake names, they boarded the ferry over Cook Strait, the court heard, and the jet ski was eventually sold to a mystery buyer.
Johnston was also charged with conversion and she and Mathieson came before the Dunedin District Court last week.
They tearfully embraced in the dock - Mathieson had spent four months in custody because he continually breached his bail by contacting Johnston.
Judge Michael Crosbie noted neither defendant had an extensive criminal record.
Mathieson was sentenced to 12 months intensive supervision and 250 hours' community work, while Johnston received the same term of rehabilitative oversight with 120 hours' community work.
Webber was previously jailed for two years nine months.
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Fraudsters Lance Ryan and Jimmie McNicholl convicted over $8.3m Ponzi rip-off
A fraudster who orchestrated an elaborate $8.3 million Ponzi rip-off of "honest, hardworking Kiwis" has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.
Lance Jack Ryan, aka Lance Jared Thompson, and his "patsy and dupe" Jimmie Kevin McNicholl sucked in 900 investors, which paid for their jet-set lifestyles, million-dollar homes and flash cars.
Ryan, 44, was jailed at Christchurch District Court today while McNicholl, 56, escaped prison with a sentence of 11 months' home detention and 350 hours of community work for his lesser role in the scam.
The court heard how the sophisticated fraud conned investors and left a painful legacy.
As well as their anger over financial losses, including life savings, victims told of the depression, reputational damage, uncertain retirement futures, and even suicidal thoughts that the swindle has resulted in."Their theft didn't mean we missed out on a fancy holiday," one duped investor said in a powerful victim impact statement."It means that on a weekly basis we struggle to get by. It will have an ongoing effect on our lives."
The Serious Fraud Office's summary of facts said Ryan approached McNicholl in January 2014 with the idea of a "straight through processing" foreign exchange (Forex) trading platform under the name BlackfortFX.
Ryan's original plan was to sell Forex training packages for approximately $5000 linked to an employment opportunity at BlackfortFX.
Within a month, Ryan and McNicholl were "actively engaged" in its development and promotion, the summary says, with records showing they each had a 50 per cent share interest in BlackfortFX.
But when the company applied for registration as a financial services provider, the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) had concerns over Ryan's involvement.
However, McNicholl wrote back to declare that Ryan "is not and shall not be involved" with BlackfortFX, which later resulted in him being charged with fraud.
The SFO says that, from the very beginning, the investors' money was pooled.
Between May 27, 2014, and May 15, 2015, approximately $8.3m was paid into the company bank account."Neither McNicholl nor Ryan transferred or paid any of the funds received from investors toward any legitimate Forex trading platform," the SFO says."Both McNicholl and Ryan knew that every request by an investor to withdraw money from their respective investment accounts with BlackfortFX was being paid from the collective pool of investors' funds held in the bank account."
The SFO found that Ryan personally took out at least $1.39m while McNicholl personally got no less than $709,000 of the "specifically identifiable investors' funds".
There were also "large amounts of money" spent on other personal items, including horses, motor vehicles, medical costs and travel.
McNicholl used $350,000 for a deposit on a $3.5m Christchurch property and bought a $111,000 BMW car.
Ryan used $1m as a settlement payment for a property in Helensville, 40kms northwest of Auckland in May 2015.
BlackfortFX was placed into liquidation on July 24, 2015.
About 900 people, including friends and family, invested about $8.3m into what was, in fact, Ponzi scheme.
Ryan admitted charges of false accounting, forgery, altering documents, and theft by a person in a special relationship. McNicholl pleaded guilty to one charge of obtaining by deception.
Two victims were in court today to hear that Ryan's $205,000 Bentley car was recovered by liquidators, and he extracted $1.4m that he had put into a family trust for a property.
BlackfortFX liquidators said investors would only get 34 cents on the dollar back from any assets recovered.
The Crown said it was a Ponzi scheme from the outset, with no foreign exchange or investments made. All of the alleged profits were fictitious, SFO prosecutor Philip Gardyne said.
Registering as a financial services provider gave the scheme "legitimacy", Judge Farish said and helped suck in investors.
The impact of the scam will remain with victims for a very long time, Gardyne said, in what was a significant abuse of trust and authority.
Many victims introduced friends and family to the scheme.
They told the court just how their lives have been devastated by the con."We are not faceless, obscenely rich individuals," one wrote in a victim impact statement, saying they were ordinary, honest, hardworking Kiwis."The money we invested, we worked incredibly hard for."
A small group of investors are in ongoing asset recovery action with liquidators.
The Crown said Ryan orchestrated the scheme and are sceptical of his claims he is remorseful.
Defence counsel Tim Fournier said Ryan doesn't accept it was a Ponzi scheme from the get-go.
Ryan, who is bankrupt, claims he is a changed man and will set up a trust on his release which will give the money back to his victims.
But Judge Farish described those claims as "quite ridiculous and not realistic".
McNicholl's lawyer James Rapley said he was remorseful and sorry for his "discreet but important" role that had "devastating consequences".
The fact that the trained butcher came from humble beginnings and he was a hard-worker should give the court comfort that McNicholl will "do what he can" to help repay the stolen money.
Judge Farish also ordered McNicholl to repay $50,000, at a rate of $10,000 a year, which she described as a realistic amount.
SFO Director Julie Read said Ryan's sentence reflects the very serious nature of his offending."He cynically manipulated vulnerable and trusting investors, many of whom have suffered considerable stress in addition to financial loss. Some of the lost money was payouts from the Earthquake Commission," she said."Mr Ryan also deceived the Financial Markets Authority and the Companies Office. The prosecution of such matters is an important aspect of protecting New Zealand's reputation as a safe place to invest and do business."
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Woman hacks into partner's Facebook account to send lewd messages
Sarah Louise Rogers trespassed her partner from her home after an argument - then concocted a plan to get back at him.
The 53-year-old Whangārei woman hacked into the man's Facebook account and sent messages to her daughter purporting to say he was interested in some form of a sexual relationship with the daughter.
Rogers also sent two separate images of an erect penis being held over a wooden table followed by an explicit message, pretending the images were from the man.
Her daughter, in her 20s, responded to the messages in a robust and sensible way before they became too much and she went to police. Rogers initially pleaded guilty to one charge of causing harm by posting digital communication then attempted to vacate her plea but was unsuccessful.
The charge was laid under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 and carries a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment or a fine not exceeding $50,000.
She was sentenced in the Whangārei District Court on Tuesday to three months' community detention with a curfew to be observed between 7pm and 7am, and ordered to perform 150 hours of community work.
Judge Noel Sainsbury ordered her not to have access to electronic devices without the permission of her probation officer.
The fact Rogers thought it was appropriate to use her daughter as a "pawn" was extraordinary, the judge said."[That] she thought it was even a good idea to say her partner was sexually interested in her daughter is also extraordinary," he said.
A police summary of facts said Rogers accessed the man's Facebook account in April last year and sent a series of messages to her daughter.
In one of the messages, Rogers wrote: "Your mum caught me cheating again poor old woman she had it coming to her".
Her daughter replied: "Do u seriously want to make things worse for us crappy life. I don't give a f*** piss off".
Another message said: "My life's good now your mom is gone" and "lol"."Just go away" was the reply.
Rogers then said: "ok cya soon....in person" with a red heart symbol and "real soon".
Her daughter wrote back: "Called the police now so have fun trying" and "And like you know where I am loser".
Roger's partner was contacted by police and Rogers accompanied him to the Dargaville police station to give a statement.
She confessed resetting his Facebook password, accessing his account and sending messages. In explanation, Rogers said she wanted to get him into trouble.
Her lawyer Tony Shepherd submitted community detention, coupled with community work, would be an appropriate sentence.
Judge Sainsbury said Rogers, a mum of 13, had a difficult upbringing and made poor decisions regarding her personal relationships. There was a seeming lack of remorse as Rogers was more concerned about her own position, he said.
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William Wakefield denies murdering 5-month-old baby in Upper Hutt
The man accused of murdering a baby in Upper Hutt can now be named.
William Wakefield has appeared in the High Court at Wellington where he's pleaded not guilty to killing five-month-old Lincoln Wakefield.
The 31-year-old is not biologically related to the baby, who was found seriously injured at an Upper Hutt home last month.
The infant was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery, but died shortly after.
As well as the murder charge, police have also laid a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, saying the offence took place between May 7 and June 4.
Wakefield has been remanded for a case review in September.
The judge will decide this morning whether to grant him bail.
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Man pleads not guilty to murder of two-year-old girl
A man charged with the murder of 2-year-old girl Arnica Savage has this morning pleaded not guilty.
The man, 32, appeared in the High Court at Rotorua this morning where he entered a not guilty plea to murdering the child at Te Mahoe in the Eastern Bay of Plenty on Sunday night.
The man, who was wearing a white prison boiler suit and was clutching a blue book, entered the plea through his lawyer, Gene Tomlinson.
About 20 people were in the public gallery.
Justice Graham Lang remanded the man in custody to reappear for a case review hearing on September 5 when he will appear by audio visual link.
Justice Lang has set down the trial to start on March 18 next year.
Justice Lang said at the request of the family the accused's name and his relationship to the girl would remain suppressed until 5pm on July 11, which was after the girl's tangi.
Arnica's body was found in the Rangitaiki River on Sunday night about 11pm after police were called to the area about 6pm.
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'Disrespect me and I will kill you': Man terrorised foreign flatmates
A Dunedin man who terrorised foreign students living with him with violence and racist abuse has been jailed for 17 months.
The victims of 47-year-old David John Rasmussen's rage say they are still worried about him finding them when he gets out of jail.
One of the Asian men who boarded with the defendant called the experience of living with him ''a nightmare''.
Rasmussen and the first victim were in the kitchen on February 13 when the first outburst took place.''The defendant took exception to the victim rinsing his mouth in the kitchen sink and punched the victim in the face with a closed fist,'' the police summary said.
Rasmussen followed the man as he walked away and inflicted another six or seven blows.
The victim tried to escape to the toilet but the defendant would not let him go.
As he pursued, he told a witness he was going to get a knife and ''kill this Chinaman''.
He punched him another five times in the torso, causing the man to fall back against the bathroom wall.
Only hours later, the second victim entered the lounge area.
Rasmussen said he would ''finish'' the man and told him he had a firearm and would shoot him.''The defendant pointed his fingers in the shape of a gun ... and stated this is how we do it Auckland, then said 'pow pow','' court documents said.
Six days later, Rasmussen was similarly antagonistic.
It was 7am and he had been drinking all night, the court heard.
He verbally abused the members of the flat and claimed he would attack them just like he had done earlier.
Rasmussen went into the second victim's bedroom, stood over him and grabbed the collar of his shirt.''You disrespect me and I will kill you,'' he said.
Defence counsel Jim Takas said despite the drunken abuse, his client's offending had tailed off in recent years.
He told the court Rasmussen wanted to go to polytech to study tourism.''At the age of 47, that's a rather adventurous undertaking but it's never too late to learn or take advantage of a second chance,'' Takas said.
Judge Kevin Phillips said neither victim had been left with permanent physical injuries but had come away from the episodes mentally scarred.
One said that after a week of living with Rasmussen, he had considered dropping out of his postgraduate study at the University of Otago to return overseas.''They were scared of you and remain scared of you,'' the judge said.
The defendant, who was convicted of three counts of threatening to kill and two of assault, was assessed as a high risk of reoffending.
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