September 07, 2012

Robber says victim 'ripped him off'

David Clarkson

A man says he robbed a Papatoetoe car salesman of a car, keys, iPhone, and sunglasses because a previous car he had brought from him had broken down.

The incident took place in Auckland on March 29, and led to Rawiri James Emery ? now living in Christchurch ? pleading guilty to the robbery charge in Christchurch District Court today.

Emery, a 33-year-old steel fixer, was remanded in custody for sentence on October 29, with Judge Gary MacAskill asking for a pre-sentence report including an assessment of his suitability for home detention.

But he added that the home detention assessment was not an indication of the likely sentence.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Glenn Pascoe said Emery bought a car from the salesman on March 8.

Three weeks later, Emery and an associate inquired about buying another vehicle and went for a test drive with the saleman in the car.

The car, driven by the associate, did not call at a bank as planned but went to a nearby inn.

The salesman was then forced to sign over the car, and hand over his keys, sunglasses, and iPhone. Emery told him that the vehicle he had sold him earlier had broken down.

When the saleman got out of the vehicle, Emery forced him against the side of the car and made several unsuccessful attempts to grab the jewellery he was wearing.

He then made threats to shoot the salesman and his family. The salesman got away by climbing over a fence and running into the inn.

When Emery was interviewed, he told police the robbery victim had ripped him off and that was ?why he did what he did?.