Extent of Golriz Ghahraman’s shoplifting revealed
Thursday, 14 March 2024
Former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman was charged after allegations of shoplifting.
Ghahraman stole $8367 worth of clothing before resigning as an MP.
The former MP had been subject to threats that were “horrific in nature”, her lawyer told the court.
Former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman would browse stores and then hide clothing in bags before exiting.
Ghahraman appeared in the Auckland District Court on Wednesday, following a shoplifting investigation which found she had stolen around $8367 worth of clothing from three shops. She pleaded guilty to all charges and will be sentenced in June.
Stuff can now reveal the full details of the former MP’s offending.
At about 3pm on October 22, Ghahraman entered Cre8iveworx with a male associate.
She removed a number of clothing garments from the display rack and took them into the changing rooms. One of the items was a black Zambesi shirt, worth $695.
While in the changing room she tried on a number of items, emerging several times to confer with her associate and to browse another display rack.
Whilst hidden behind the privacy curtain in the changing room, Ghahraman put the Zambesi shirt inside her clothing or bag.
She did buy a pair of pants with her credit card at the counter, but made no attempt to pay for the Zambesi shirt.
Two months later on December 21, Ghahraman entered Scotties Boutique in Ponsonby with two associates. She was wearing a large tote bag over her right shoulder.
At about 4.03pm, she removed a black “Acne Studios Single Breasted Coat” from a display rack, valued at $1900.
She then took a pair of black pants from a separate display rack and entered the changing room with both items.
While concealed from view, Ghahraman placed the coat inside her tote bag.
She then tried on the pair of pants with the curtain open before placing them back on the display rack.
Ghahraman continued browsing the store and at 4.09pm removed a black “Commes des Garcons Wallet” from the display cabinet, valued at $160.
According to the summary, Ghahraman held the wallet in her hand and walked into a deserted area of the shop.
“While she was outside the view of the store attendants, she surreptitiously placed the wallet inside her tote bag.”
She continued to browse the store until 4.25pm, but left without making any purchases or attempting to pay for the coat and wallet hidden inside her bag.
The following day, Ghahraman went into Standard Issue in Newmarket, wearing a large brown tote over her shoulder.
She engaged in conversation with the store manager while browsing the clothing on a display table.
She then picked up a navy blue cardigan, worth $389.
While the managers attention was “briefly diverted”, Ghahraman placed the cardigan inside her brown tote and promptly left the shop.
The manager immediately noticed the cardigan was no longer on the table. Ghahraman was the only customer in the store at the time.
The following day, December 23, Ghahraman went back to Scotties Boutique. This time she had a large black tote bag and a smaller red satchel bag over her shoulders.
Immediately after entering the shop, she removed a large empty brown tote from inside the black tote bag and placed it over her left shoulder.
The then MP stopped at a display cabinet and removed a charcoal grey “Bao Bao Issey Miyake Lucent” bag, worth $650.
She walked the bag to another area of the shop, scanned her surroundings and placed it into the red satchel bag.
Shortly after, she took four clothing items into a changing room, including a black “Two Squares Simple Slip dress” ($333) and a black “Row Calanthe Dress” ($4500).
While concealed behind the privacy curtain she placed both dresses inside one of her bags.
She opened the curtain and placed a long sleeve dress back on the display rack.
At 1.21pm she removed a black “Lemaire Crepe Tank top” ($290) before bundling it into her bag.
She then exited the store. But a store employee approached Ghahraman in the car park and asked to check inside her bag.
Ghahraman refused to show the employee the contents of her bag.
“She returned briefly inside the store with the employee where she offered an explanation, pointing to a dress hung inside a coat as the reason for misunderstanding. The employee accepted this explanation and allowed her to leave.”
About an hour later, an associate of Ghahraman’s went into the boutique and returned the items of clothing Ghahraman had taken, except the tank top.
When spoken to by police, Ghahraman accepted it was her in the CCTV footage taken at Cre8iveworx, but did not recall taking the shirt.
In relation to the offending at Scotties Boutique, Ghahraman accepted the facts and admitted shoplifting.
She declined to comment on the offending at Standard Issue.
Ghahraman has previously appeared before the court on a charge of careless driving.
At Ghahraman’s court appearance on Wednesday, her lawyer, Annabel Cresswell, told the court Ghahraman’s case had been subject to “aggressive media reports” resulting in threats, some of which were “horrific in nature”.
Media filming of Ghahraman in court would add to the vitriol, she said.
“There are mental health issues at stake.”
On January 16, Ghahraman announced her resignation as a Member of Parliament.
“It is clear to me that my mental health is being badly affected by the stresses relating to my work. This has led me to act in ways that are completely out of character. I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them,” she said at the time.
“People should, rightly, expect the highest standards of behaviour from their elected representatives. I fell short. I’m sorry. It’s not a behaviour I can explain because it’s not rational in any way, and after medical evaluation, I understand I’m not well.”
In January, Ghahraman said she took full responsibility for her actions, which she deeply regretted.
“I have let down a lot of people and I am very sorry.”