'Calculated deceit': Accused shoplifters fleeced by supermarket security guards

An immigrant accused by security guards of shoplifting at a supermarket was afraid of breaking New Zealand laws, so handed them several hundred dollars in cash when they asked.

Another was left “particularly distressed” and worried what would happen if they didn’t comply with the guards’ request.

Another disputed she had stolen anything and when taken to the guards’ windowless security room and asked if she was a resident, was told “lucky you” when replying she was a citizen.

Today, the second of two private security guards caught fleecing money from people accused of shoplifting was sentenced.

Tiare Bishop and Laki Savelio were employees of Retail Theft Control Security (RTC), which at the time was contracted to provide security services to the Pak’nSave supermarket in Manukau, South Auckland.

RTC dealt with alleged shoplifters through “civil recovery”.

This method meant alleged shoplifters had an opportunity to pay $396, which would go back to the store, and police wouldn’t be involved, according to the summary of facts.

But the pair took advantage of the scheme to extort money from several victims at the Pak’nSave in January last year.

Savelio, 24, was sentenced in August for his part in the rort, which included a “degrading” act with a cucumber.

Bishop, who had planned to defend the charges, recently admitted a representative charge of obtaining by deception over $1000 and another charge of attempting to obtain by deception under $500 and was remanded for sentencing today in the Manukau District Court.

She sought a discharge without conviction, concerned at the impact a conviction might have on future job prospects, getting a loan, securing housing or travelling overseas.

She regretted what happened, was “bitterly disappointed” in herself and was sorry for the victims, the court heard.

However, Judge Lynn Hughes said Bishop had taken part in a “calculated method of deceit for financial gain”.

Bishop tried twice to adjourn sentencing; once because of a late bid to attend restorative justice with one of the six victims who had agreed to attend, and again to file proof she was on a path to better things, but Judge Hughes denied the requests.

She said there had been ample time since Bishop pleaded guilty to arrange that, and attending restorative justice with only one of the victims who had agreed would have little bearing on the sentencing outcome.

Ordeal captured on CCTV

According to the summary of facts, on a Saturday evening in January 2025, the first victim went through the self-checkout without paying for several items, including a plastic-wrapped telegraph cucumber.

On the way to his car, he was stopped by Savelio and Bishop, who made him go to their office, where they “repeatedly” accused him of shoplifting.

The man’s hour-long ordeal was captured on CCTV, starting with Savelio picking up a toy rifle and pointing it at the man, who put his hands up before swiping away the barrel with his hand.

Savelio also forced the cucumber either “against or into” the man’s mouth, the summary said.

Savelio then gestured at the man’s wallet and he pulled out four $50 notes and put them on a shelf.

After 45 minutes, Bishop left the room and Savelio switched off the lights.

Tiare Bishop and Laki Savelio were employees of Retail Theft Control Security, which was contracted to provide security services to the Pak'nSave supermarket in Manukau. Photo / NZME

He and the man left the supermarket and, a short time later, Savelio and Bishop returned to the security room where they split the $200.

Later that month, Savelio and Bishop stopped a man who admitted forgetting to pay for a tin of baby formula.

They extorted $400 from him and he was trespassed from the supermarket.

Took receipt and refused to give it back

A few days later, the two security guards accused another man of stealing, but when he produced a receipt, they took it from him and refused to give it back.

In the security office, when the man threatened to call a union organiser, Savelio said he could leave with a warning.

The summary said the victim wanted proof they were up to no good, so he offered to pay the pair $100, which they accepted.

That same day they squeezed $300 out of a man who, the summary said, didn’t want to jeopardise his recently secured residency visa.

When spoken to by police, Savelio said he was doing his job as his boss had told him to.

On a representative charge of obtaining by deception more than $1000, he was sentenced to six months’ home detention, had 12 months’ post-detention conditions imposed and was ordered to pay $750 to the victims not already compensated by Pak’nSave.

He has since been banned from working in the sector for four years.

Crown prosecutor Christian Poland did not accept the submission that Bishop was less culpable, despite her lesser involvement in the incident involving the cucumber.

“They both acted together to try and extort money from victims,” he said.

Poland said Bishop tended to take the victims to an ATM for cash withdrawals.

Judge Hughes noted Bishop, 19 at the time, had offended on an occasion when Savelio wasn’t present.

Used position in trusted role to offend

Defence counsel Sean Tang said Bishop had undertaken counselling and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity with the aim of getting back into the workforce.

Judge Hughes said, in declining Bishop’s application for a discharge, that the court accepted a conviction could impact future employment but she had used her position in a trusted role to offend on six occasions.

From an adjusted starting point of 15 months in prison, Bishop was awarded a 25% discount for her guilty pleas, her youth and remorse to arrive at an 11-month prison sentence, commuted to 250 hours’ community work, 12 months’ supervision and $650 reparation.

Judge Hughes was satisfied a community-based sentence met the purposes and principles of sentencing for Bishop’s offending.

Tracy Neal is a Nelson-based Open Justice reporter at NZME. She was previously RNZ’s regional reporter in Nelson-Marlborough and has covered general news, including court and local government for the Nelson Mail.