Zachary Max John Shaw, 29, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of causing loss by deception at the Oamaru District Court Hearing Centre on 21 December, 2022. Photo: RNZ
A tradie who took more than $40,000 in deposits for building work he failed to finish has been sentenced to 13-and-a-half months in prison.
Zachary Max John Shaw, 29, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of causing loss by deception with reparations totalling $44,010.
He was sentenced by Judge Jim Large at Oamaru District Court Hearing Centre on Wednesday.
In his ruling, Judge Large said he did not want to give victims false hope that Shaw would pay back the money owed when he owed too much to reimburse them.
Judge Large said Shaw also had Tenancy Tribunal debts and owed the Ministry of Social Development about $60,000.
In victim impact statements, many talked about stress and sleepless nights, and one was "devastated" by Shaw's actions, Judge Large said.
There were 10 families affected by Shaw's deceit, and some of his own family members described him as a liar, he said.
Shaw presented himself as a self-employed builder and advertised for business on Facebook, included for fencing, decks, and other building services.
Police received 10 complaints from people who paid Shaw money as a deposit for work he mostly did not turn up to complete between January 2020 and April this year.
Shaw would provide quotes, which totalled more than $72,000, to the victims and request a deposit.
The deposits ranged from $1000 to $11,500 for a $15,500 quote.
On most occasions, he would do a very small amount of work with minimal materials.
He would then usually fail to turn up, refusing to reimburse the victims or cutting communication with them.
On other occasions, he would provide a quote and ask for a deposit, only to never be seen again.
When the victims and police confronted him about his action, he informed them that the matter was civil.
