Two Chinese men involved in a $100,000 computer theft ring in Christchurch have effectively begun significant jail terms even though their sentencing has been put off for a month.
The associated shoplifting syndicate was raiding Harvey Norman’s city store, sometimes off-loading the stolen computer gear at DK Computers shop in Stanmore Road within 20min, and then returning for further raids.
The pair, Lianwen Chen, a 29-year-old company director, and Feilin Yang, a 26-year-old resident of central Christchurch, were due to be sentenced in the Christchurch District Court this afternoon.
They had admitted the conspiracy to deal in stolen computers shortly before their trial was due to start in March, and had been remanded on bail for sentencing.
An issue arose at the sentencing when Vanessa Sugrue, defence counsel for Yang, wanted the judge to take her client’s lesser role into account. She said he had been an employee at the firm and had not been there for the whole time the crown alleged the conspiracy had taken place.
“He had got fed up with the situation, got scared, and made arrangements to find other employment,” she said. But he accepted he had committed conspiracy and had been reckless. “He accepts he should have asked a lot more questions but he says that part of his culture is not to ask too many questions of your employer.”
Crown prosecutor Kathy Bell said that some of these details were disputed. When Yang had filled in an immigration application he had described himself as being a manager at DK Computers.
When Judge Jane Farish found that there was no agreement on the details of the conspiracy, she remanded the case to a disputed facts hearing on July 19 when she will hear details from the mass of evidence related to the case.
Until then, Chen and Yang have been remanded in custody. “They are both remaining in custody because they were going to be sentenced to quite significant terms of imprisonment today.”
The crown case was that computer equipment valued at about $100,000 was involved in the offending, which was ended with the police’s Operation Wizard surveillance operation and raids on June 25, 2008.
Counsel for Chen, Paul Norcross, handed in to court a $10,000 bank cheque as his client’s contribution to possible emotional harm reparations for those who had computers stolen.
Miss Sugrue said Yang had $2000 to offer as his contribution, and was also offering another $1300 cash that found on him when he was arrested as well.
Others involved in the Operation Wizard offending have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced.
source: courtnews.co.nz
