‘I was just thinking of hugging my children’: Tradie recounts alleged attack by South Akl real estate agents

Four men in their 30s have been charged following allegations that an Auckland tradesman was kidnapped, assaulted and robbed of thousands of dollars at a South Auckland property.

According to a report by The New Zealand Herald, the tradesman alleged that three real estate agents and a taxi driver attacked him after he arrived at a property for a potential job, threatened to kill his family and transferred $6700 from his bank account.

The alleged incident occurred in August and was reported to police the same day. The four men were arrested on Wednesday and appeared in court, facing joint charges of aggravated robbery and kidnapping the complainant “with intent to hold him for ransom”.

The men were granted name suppression and released on bail, with conditions including surrendering their passports. They are due to reappear in the Manukau District Court in February next year.

If convicted, they could face up to 14 years in prison.

The Herald reported that the three real estate agents appear to have active marketing campaigns for properties in South Auckland.

The real estate company employing the agents told Herald it had suspended the individuals involved and notified the Real Estate Authority (REA) of the charges.

“We’ve taken immediate action to suspend the individuals involved and informed the Real Estate Authority [REA] of the charges laid by the police. We recognise the seriousness of the charges and the importance of allowing the legal process to take its course,” the company said.

“We will co-operate fully with police, providing any assistance we can with their inquiries. As the matter is before the courts, we will not be commenting further at this stage.”

An REA spokesperson told the Herald: “This matter has been reported to REA and we are assessing the appropriate regulatory response.”

Tradesman recounts alleged attack

Speaking to the Herald, the tradesman said he had previously undertaken renovation work for two of the men on an investment property they were selling but had stopped working following an apparent dispute over payment.

He alleged that on Saturday, August 29, he received a text from an unfamiliar number offering him further work. He agreed to visit a property in South Auckland to assess the job and arrived in the early afternoon.

According to his account, a four-wheel-drive vehicle arrived shortly afterwards, and three men got out and attacked him.

He described the men as “dressed to kill” in expensive clothing and claimed they appeared to be intoxicated.

The tradesman told the Herald that the men pinned him down, punched and kicked him, and placed him in a chokehold while attempting to drag him inside the house.

“I couldn’t understand.

“I’m trying to get up, I’m trying to run, but they put me in a chokehold. They were trying to drag me into the house. I kicked and did everything I could”, including biting his alleged assailants’ hands, Herald quoted.

He said a taxi driver subsequently arrived and joined the group.

The tradesman alleged that two of the men held his arms while another, whom he described as the “ringleader”, took his phone. A second man allegedly took his keys.

He said the men forced him to unlock his phone and found a courier invoice containing his home address. They also accessed his photographs and took screenshots of images of his wife and children.

One of the men allegedly punched him in the face and threatened to kill his family.

The tradesman said the threat left him thinking about his wife and children rather than what the men were saying to him.

“I couldn’t concentrate on the conversation. I was just thinking of hugging my children," Herald quoted.

He told the Herald that he offered to open his banking application in an attempt to satisfy the men.

“There’s no money there but everything I have I will give to you.”

The tradesman alleged that $6700 was transferred from his ANZ account to a Westpac account. He later realised that the recipient account was the same one from which he had received payment for the earlier renovation work.

“Not very smart. They’re no criminal masterminds," Herald quoted.

He further alleged that the taxi driver put him in a chokehold from behind, while the man he identified as the ringleader again threatened him.

The group allegedly asked whether he could obtain more money from his wife or friends before eventually leaving the property.

“I was distraught, I was bruised, I was beaten up and robbed.”

Police investigation led to four arrests

The tradesman told the Herald that he drove directly to the North Shore police station after the alleged attack and reported what had happened.

He said he provided a statement and police photographed his injuries, which he described as including bruising to his face and body, a dislocated shoulder and nerve damage.

He was still recovering when he spoke to the newspaper and said he remained anxious about receiving calls from unfamiliar numbers.

The tradesman also told the Herald that he understood investigators had used cellphone data and CCTV footage to establish the movements of the alleged offenders.

Although he initially believed he could identify only three of the men, he said a phone call last week helped him identify the fourth.

He alleged that he received a call from a private number in which he was threatened and told his family could be harmed. Shortly afterwards, he received another call from a listed number.

After searching the number online, he said he discovered it belonged to the agent marketing the property where the alleged assault took place.

“I rang the police and said I know who the fourth guy is," Herald quoted.

The tradesman suspected the second call was an accidental “pocket dial”.

The Herald reported that one of the agents declined to comment. Another confirmed he had resigned from his position following a meeting with company representatives, while the third could not be reached.

Counties Manukau south area investigations manager Detective Senior Sergeant Natalie Nelson said police received a report on August 29 relating to an ongoing financial dispute.

Nelson said four men, all in their 30s, had been charged following an investigation into allegations of kidnapping and aggravated robbery.

The men were arrested on Wednesday and were due to reappear in the Manukau District Court in February.