Hennessy, 26, was this week jailed for three years and three months for the crime, which Judge Kevin Glubb described as “reprehensible”, premeditated and “carried out with almost military precision”.

He pleaded guilty to 25 charges of obtaining by deception after more than 20 elderly victims were called by fraudsters posing as police officers and persuaded to withdraw large sums of money in the belief they were assisting undercover detectives in an operation targeting counterfeit banknotes.

Hennessy used taxis to visit victims’ homes and posed as a plainclothes police courier to collect the money; He used predetermined code words such as “aroha”, “totara”, “treetop” and “Timbuktu” to convince the retirees that it was a real reality. civil servant

The victims believed they were under police surveillance when withdrawing money from Auckland banks.

They were told that the money was protected by police insurance and were instructed to repackage the money while wearing gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints.

Many spoke of the intense embarrassment they experienced after realizing they had been deceived, the devastating financial impact on their retirement plans, and the feelings of fear and violation that came with the fraudsters knowing their addresses and personally visiting their homes.

But Hennessy, who previously served time in a UK prison for his role in a mugging-and-breaking ring that targeted mobile phone shops, sought to downplay his complicity at a restorative justice meeting last month with a lawyer representing the 88-year-old. North Shore woman who lost $10,000.

Hennessy claimed he agreed to fly to New Zealand and collect cash-filled packages after a UK crime syndicate threatened to harm his mother and brother.

The convicted criminal claimed his London colleagues lent him a Swiss-made Richard Mille watch, described as a “racing machine on the wrist” worth more than $200,000.

However, he says that 90 minutes after wearing the luxury watch, he was attacked and the watch was stolen. The criminal network then demanded repayment and warned of violent consequences if he did not fly to New Zealand and act as a “bagger” for the fraud.

After landing in Auckland on June 9, Hennessy rented a flat in Hobson Street and over the next 14 days stole $337,700 from 21 separate victims, most of whom were over the age of 80, who thought they were helping a detailed law enforcement investigation.

The retirees believed that after handing over the money to Hennessy, it would be taken to investigators, checked for counterfeit notes, and then re-deposited into their accounts.

In reality, the money was either pocketed by Hennessy or sent to its patrons abroad.

‘A trap was set for him’

Hennessy was caught June 24 on his way to collect $20,000 from an 83-year-old victim who had already given $16,000.

After being spotted in a taxi in central Auckland, he led police on a brief foot chase before being arrested.

Police obtained CCTV footage from Co-op Taxis and used the company’s GPS vehicle coordinates to prove Hennessy had visited the victims’ addresses.

He later pleaded guilty to 27 charges, including one of escaping from custody.

The lawyer told reporter Hennessy gave a moving account of her role in the fraud at a restorative justice meeting last month.

“His story is that he was scammed into doing it on his own. “He claims he was set up and that he did this to pay off a non-existent debt.”

Hennessy told the lawyer that after his time in the UK he “wasn’t able to completely stay away from the bad elements”.

“He was loaned a very expensive watch to wear to a party… worth more than £100,000 ($216,000). He was attacked by two men who stole the watch. “He was later accused of selling the watch and forced to do the work in New Zealand.”

Hennessy said he flew to New Zealand after his family was threatened and was “told to pick up the packages but didn’t know what they were”.

He claimed that the fraudulent calls to the victims were made by the syndicate abroad. He and several other baggers sent to New Zealand were “just men on the ground”.

The lawyer said Hennessy seemed credible.

“It didn’t seem rehearsed at all, it wasn’t working from a script. “If he is not sincere, it means he likes a good actor.”

‘Incredibly stupid and naive’

A victim impact statement from a 65-year-old man was read aloud during the Auckland District Court verdict on Thursday.

The woman said she felt “hunted.” He lost his appetite and struggled to sleep. The fraud had eroded his self-confidence and confidence.

Losing $10,000 had a profound impact on her and her husband’s future. They had come from “humble means” and had no way of retrieving the stolen money.

“I was also robbed of my trust in others and my belief in myself; This was an extremely disturbing state of mind. I no longer felt empowered to make any decisions or take any responsibility. I felt like my right to spend money had been revoked and I didn’t want to interact with strangers anymore.

“I felt incredibly remorseful for how incredibly stupid and naive I was. “It was horrifying to me and my family that you and your friends knew details about my life and the address of our family home.”

He said the method designed by fraudsters to abuse trust in the police was a “violation”. He did not tell anyone about his “misfortune” except his close family.

Hennessy sat expressionless on the dock, wearing a gray Mt Eden Prison tracksuit.

Judge Glubb said the agreed summary of facts ran to 21 pages.

Hennessy began committing crimes the day after he arrived in New Zealand.

“It couldn’t have been more planned or premeditated. This was a well planned scam.

“This has been repeated and targeted attacks against senior members of our community. “It’s nothing to condemn, Mr. Hennessy.”

Following his arrest, Hennessy refused to cooperate with police or name his accomplices.

Although he had no previous convictions in this country, the judge noted: “You had just arrived.”

He said there were “no” mitigating features and no evidence to support Hennessy’s claims about the watch.

Hennessy, who the court heard was upset and ashamed, will be deported after being released from prison.

The judge said Hennessy had no family here, which would make his time in prison even more difficult.

However, his victims “did not understand” and asked for a harsh sentence to prevent him from committing further crimes.

The judge did not award compensation because Hennessy had no means to pay, but decided to distribute the $26,000 seized when he was arrested among the victims.

Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton, of the City of Auckland Financial Crimes Unit, said Hennessy’s short trip to New Zealand saw him spend three years behind bars thanks to excellent police work.

“From the very beginning, our investigators were determined to raise people’s awareness and stop this attack.

“This sends a message to the offshore organized crime groups running these operations that we are not a soft target.”

Lane Nichols is Vice President of News at the New Zealand Herald and a veteran journalist with over 20 years of experience in the industry.

Subscribe to The Daily HA free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.