Landlord found not guilty of attempting to distort the course of justice by falsifying a cleaning bill

Landlord found not guilty of attempting to distort the course of justice by falsifying a cleaning bill

Wellington landlord Craig Relph and his father Alvin Relph have been found not guilty of attempting to distort the course of justice.

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Wellington landlord Craig Relph and his father Alvin Relph have been found not guilty of attempting to distort the course of justice.

Two men have been acquitted of falsifying a cleaning bill to appear in rent court and then providing further false evidence to substantiate it, a judge has ruled.

Guest house landlord Craig Relph and his father Alvin Relph have been found not guilty of attempting to distort the course of justice and aid the attempt.

Wellington District Court judge Andrew Becroft heard the case without a jury and issued his decision Friday to dismiss the charges against the men.

Other charges of giving false evidence to the tribunal had disappeared after the discovery that they had been placed outside a legal term, the judge said.

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Craig Relph is considered one of Wellington’s largest landlords.

Becroft said a young man, whose name is being suppressed, had lived at the boarding house and injured himself in 2015. He was helped by residents and taken to hospital.

The other tenants then cleaned up the common areas but left his room.

The young man’s mother came later to clean his room

Relph had said he had contracted emergency cleaning services by his father Alvin, who ran a cleaning business.

Becroft said the Crown case was that there had been no cleaning and if there was, there was nothing urgent about it.

At a rental court hearing, Craig Relph had presented the bill and later emailed further evidence that the Crown said he had made.

Emails between the two accused men revealed that Alvin was being asked to create the bill.

Judge Andrew Becroft said it was highly suspicious, but he could conclude no guilt.

ROSA WOODS

Judge Andrew Becroft said it was highly suspicious, but he could conclude no guilt.

The judge said the Crown’s case was that after the tribunal hearing, Alvin created an email address for the service and then sent an email from that account, falsely mentioning housekeeping at the guest house. That e-mail has been sent to the Rent Assessment Committee.

The young man’s mother then complained to police who were investigating.

Judge Becroft said that while others didn’t see the cleanup taking place, that didn’t mean it didn’t happen.

He also said he could not be sure that a delay in generating the invoice was an indication of guilt.

The judge said that while much of the circumstantial evidence seemed highly suspicious, it could also be explained that made him doubt.

Both men had had their names suppressed until the outcome of the trial which was dropped with the judge’s decision.

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