Michael Wright in the dock at Wellington District Court on Wednesday. Photo: SUPPLIED/MONIQUE FORD
The owner of a Palmerston North window installation company - which shut its doors owing customers hundreds of thousands of dollars - has avoided jail for now.
Owner of Green Innovations, Michael Wright appeared in Wellington District Court on Wednesday for sentencing after pleading guilty to seven charges of obtaining by deception.
But sentencing was delayed when he made an unexpected offer of reparations.
The charges related to just over $300,000 paid to Green Innovations - between December 2022 and July 2023 - as deposits and progress payments for window installations that never eventuated.
Judge Noel Sainsbury told the court and a gallery of some of the aggrieved customers that - in deciding Wright's sentence - he would have to determine whether his conduct was an example of a person who had intentionally "siphoned off" funds from a business to fund their lifestyle or "the idiot" who may have been in over their head.
Up to the point of sentencing Wright had made no attempts to offer reparation - citing his family commitments and living situation.
But counsel for the defence Mark Alderdice - in consultation with Wright in the dock - said he could make a lump sum payment of $2000, plus weekly payments of $100 to his victims.
Judge Sainsbury said - while he was a fan of reparation - he was sceptical of Wright's sincerity, saying it could amount to a form of "emotional blackmail" toward the victims of his fraud, implying if Wright was jailed no money would be paid.
"I'm intrigued that $2000 has dropped out of the ether... it wasn't offered before now. It's only popped up when Wright has realised that he might not be leaving how he came in," Judge Sainsbury said.
Judge Sainsbury observed that - at the rate of payment proposed - it would take Wright some 60 years to address a third of the money lost.
He said one complainant was forced to postpone treatment for their child's serious medical condition after being defrauded by Wright.
Maxine Paterson says she'll be dead before Michael Wright could ever pay back the $43,000 he owes her. Photo: RNZ/Bill Hickman
Maxine Paterson said she was $43,000 out of pocket after ordering windows through Green Innovations.
She said at a restorative justice meeting two weeks earlier Wright had claimed he was in no position to pay his customers and was "living hand to mouth".
"I'm angry. He said to me 'I can't repay you with any money, I don't have any' and then it comes out today that he's got $2000. He said he had no money," Paterson said.
Paterson said she would rather Wright went to jail.
"I'm not expecting any reparation. I'll be dead by the time he pays all that back. I just want this to end.
"He owes me $43,000. He's not going to pay that back. I've resigned to the fact that we're not going to get any reparation out of this.
"I just want to see him be aware that what he has done was completely wrong," Paterson said.
Judge Sainsbury delayed sentencing until late April to give the defence time to forward liquidators reports and evidence of Wright's ability to pay the money.
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