Former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman appeals shoplifting convictions
Monday, 14 October 2024
Golriz Ghahraman has appealed her shoplifting convictions.
The former Green MP resigned from parliament after she was accused of shoplifting in January 2023.
Her lawyer argued the convictions would impact Ghahraman’s future employment prospects, including a job application at the International Criminal Court.
Former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman has appealed her shoplifting convictions.
Ghahraman pleaded guilty to four charges of shoplifting following an investigation which found she had stolen around $8367 worth of clothing from three shops in Wellington, Ponsonby and Newmarket in 2023.
The allegations prompted Ghahraman to resign as a Green list MP. She had previously been the party’s spokesperson for justice and foreign affairs.
On June 27, Judge June Jelas declined Ghahraman’s request for a discharge without conviction and ordered her to pay a fine of $1600 and court costs of $260.
Through her lawyer Annabel Cresswell, Ghahraman appealed the convictions at the Auckland High Court on Monday.
Cresswell told Justice Geoffrey Venning the convictions may impact Ghahraman’s June 2024 job application at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
People cannot work for the ICC if they have been convicted of serious criminal offending, Cresswell said, however it was was unclear if Ghahraman’s offending was serious enough for this to be a barrier.
The added stress from the risk on her future employment options would have a further negative impact on her mental health, she added.
Following her offending, Ghahraman was diagnosed with complex post traumatic stress disorder and prolonged duress stress disorder.
In an earlier affidavit, Ghahraman said the stresses of her work led her to experience “a feeling of nothingness”.
“This kind of risky behaviour made her feel something, even if it was negative,” Cresswell said.
Ghahraman described her offending and its consequences as “the worst period of my life”.
“I will forever feel its lasting impact.”
Auckland’s Crown Solicitor Alysha McClintock, acting on behalf of the police, argued any impacts on Ghahraman’s future employment and mental health were consequences of the offending itself, not the convictions.
McClintock said it was unclear whether the offending would impact Ghahraman’s application to work for the ICC, and that Cresswell had failed to provide evidence regarding the status of the application or whether it was still being pursued.
Ghahraman did not hold a current practising certificate, meaning the New Zealand Law Society would need to consider whether she was fit enough to work in the industry.
McClintock argued Ghahraman’s poor mental health had been adequately considered by Judge Jelas when discounting her sentence. The sentence was also discounted for remorse, early guilty pleas, Ghahraman’s resignation and loss of income, high media interest and the fact that she was a first time offender.
Justice Venning reserved his decision on Ghahraman’s appeal.
The offending
According to the summary of facts, Ghahraman entered Cre8iveworx - a clothing and gift shop in the Wellington CBD - on October 22 and took a number of garments into the changing rooms.
Whilst hidden behind the privacy curtain, Ghahraman put a $695 Zambesi shirt inside her clothing or bag.
Two months later on December 21, Ghahraman entered Scotties Boutique in Ponsonby, where she was seen on CCTV placing a coat valued at $1900 into a large tote bag she was wearing on her shoulder.
Ghahraman continued browsing and, while in a quiet area of the shop, placed a $160 wallet into the tote.
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 clothing on a display table. While the manager’s attention was “briefly diverted”, Ghahraman put a $389 cardigan in her tote and 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.
Ghahraman returned to Scotties the next day, again with a large tote bag, and picked up a bag worth $650. She then moved to another area of the shop, scanned her surroundings and placed the bag inside her tote.
She then took four items of clothing into a changing room, and put inside her bag two dresses, worth $333 and $4500.
Once out of the changing room, she bundled a tank top worth $290 into her bag.
As she left Scotties, an employee approached Ghahraman in the car park and asked to check inside her bag, a request which Ghahraman refused.
“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.
Upon her resignation from parliament, Ghahraman said her mental health had been badly affected by the stresses of her job.
“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.”