Court bungle derails Henderson sentencing
Bankrupt developer David Henderson will have to wait another week to be sentenced over an unauthorised European holiday after a court bungle.
Bankrupt developer David Henderson will have to wait another week to be sentenced over an unauthorised European holiday after a court bungle.
Mr Henderson pleaded guilty earlier this month to one charge of taking unauthorised travel, which has a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison and a fine of $5000.
However, when he appeared in the Auckland District Court this morning with his lawyer, Daniel Grove, and Ministry of Economic Development solicitor Steve Symon ready to go, they were put off a week.
"I don't know why this was placed on the list - it should be in the sentencing list," Judge Brooke Gibson said.
Mr Henderson was remanded until April 5.
Soon after being bankrupted in June, Mr Henderson told the Official Assignee he was in Australia, when, in fact, he was in Spain and reportedly enjoyed cruising the Mediterranean.
He returned to New Zealand three weeks later.
Media reporting of his overseas adventures outed the unsanctioned junket.
It has been a bad month for Mr Henderson and his family.
Earlier this week, Mr Henderson was asked to leave his penthouse above Auckland's Hilton Hotel, on Princes Wharf.
Shed 21, a company run by his Sydney-based son Anthony, leased the penthouse. But it went into voluntary liquidation on March 7 after trustee company Asteron Trust Services called in debt.
Mr Henderson, who developed the HIlton Hotel, told NBR Online last week he was living in the penthouse as a "caretaker", watering the plants.
Rent on the plush, six-bedroom apartment more than doubled last year from $130,000 to $280,000.
Mr Henderson originally hoped he could get $10 million for the penthouse but it hasn't sold, despite strong marketing by real estate agency Bayleys.
David Williams
Thu, 29 Mar 2012
Thu, 29 Mar 2012
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Court bungle derails Henderson sentencing
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