Photo: SuppliedA lone operator of a dairy was left terrified after a group rushed into her store, confronting her with a machete and making demands. Five people involved in the aggravated robbery have now been sentenced for their role, with three imprisoned. Judge Gilbert sentenced him to two years and eight months’ imprisonment and issued him a first strike warning as a violent offender. Judge Gilbert said he had cognitive issues, ADHD and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. At the time, Dairy and Business Owners Group spokesperson Ash Parmar said New Zealand needed to adopt a “zero tolerance approach to retail crime”.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 22, 2026 22:37 UTC