A burglar breaks into the apartment of a refugee neighbor and sells almost everything there

By Ric Stevens, Open Justice reporter

The court heard that Gascoigne broke the window to get inside.
Photo: 123rf.com

A refugee lost almost everything in her Auckland home when a neighbor broke in, broke into it and sold what she owned.

It was the woman’s first home in this country, but she was abroad when Neil Thomas Gascoigne broke in.

The items stolen by the 43-year-old included her late father’s watch, a valuable souvenir and one of the few things she owned.

According to a recently announced decision by Supreme Court Justice Timothy Brewer, the woman moved out after the burglary.

“Gascoigne broke a window to gain entry and then removed and sold virtually all the contents of the unit,” he said.

“The compensation amount is $11,520. Gascoigne has no means to pay them.”

The judgment did not indicate what country the refugee woman came from or how long she stayed in New Zealand.

Gascoigne also robbed a second neighbor while that person was away, stealing items valued at $2,927.

With each break-in, he broke a window to gain entry, and his fingerprints were found in both houses.

“Burglaries can have a huge impact on victims,” Judge Brewer said, noting that Gascogine knew both of the people he robbed from.

“In this case, both victims were unable to remain in their homes and moved out.”

Gascogine, when he appeared in district court in July, was sentenced to two years and one month in prison.

This sentence was slightly above the two-year threshold at which offenders become eligible for house arrest.

It also means Gascoigne’s release date will be set by the Parole Board, rather than automatically once he has served half his time.

Gascoigne appealed the sentence to the High Court in Auckland as “manifestly excessive”, but Judge Brewer dismissed the appeal, noting he had 11 previous burglary convictions.

“He is 43 years old and has an extensive criminal history. He served several prison sentences. He shows no remorse or signs of improvement,” Judge Brewer said.

“For the safety of the community, it is better to leave parole in the hands of the Parole Board.”

Judge Brewer said Gascoigne’s sentence was at the “lower end” of the sentence available to a District Court judge.

“These were serious residential burglaries and the impact on the victims was profound.”

*This story originally appeared on Herald of New Zealand.