A refugee lost almost everything in her Auckland home when a neighbour broke in, burgled it and sold what little she owned. 

It was the woman’s first home in this country, but she was away overseas when Neil Thomas Gascoigne broke in. 

Her late father’s watch, a treasured memento of him and one of the few possessions she owned, was among the items stolen by the 43-year-old. 

According to a recently released decision from High Court Justice Timothy Brewer, the woman moved away after being burgled. 

“Mr Gascoigne broke a window to gain entry and then removed and sold virtually all the unit’s contents,” he said. 

“The reparation sum is $11,520. Mr Gascoigne has no means of paying it.” 

The judgment did not say which country the woman had come from as a refugee or how long she had been in New Zealand. 

Gascoigne also burgled a second neighbour when that person was away, taking items worth $2927. 

He broke a window in each burglary to gain access and his fingerprints were found in both homes. 

“Burglaries can have a profound effect on victims,” Justice Brewer said, noting Gascogine knew both of the people he stole from. 

“In this case, both victims felt unable to remain in their homes and moved away.” 

Gascogine was sentenced to two years and one month in prison when he appeared in the District Court in July. 

That sentence was just above the two-year threshold at which offenders are eligible to be considered for home detention. 

It also means Gascoigne’s release date will be determined by the Parole Board, rather than come automatically when he has served half his time. 

Gascoigne appealed his sentence to the High Court at Auckland as being “manifestly excessive”, but Justice Brewer turned down that appeal, noting he had 11 previous convictions for burglary. 

“He is 43 years old with an extensive criminal record. He has served a number of terms of imprisonment. He shows no remorse or signs of reform,” Justice Brewer said. 

“For the safety of the community, it is better to leave his release in the hands of the Parole Board.” 

Justice Brewer said Gascoigne’s sentence was at the “lower end” of the range available to the District Court judge. 

“These were serious burglaries of residential units and the effects on victims were profound.” 

Ric Stevens spent many years working for the former New Zealand Press Association news agency, including as a political reporter at Parliament, before holding senior positions at various daily newspapers. He joined NZME’s Open Justice team in 2022 and is based in Hawke’s Bay. His writing in the crime and justice sphere is informed by four years of front-line experience as a probation officer.