Jaden Hati: Pyrmont building manager sentenced for ‘cave’ of stolen goods
A building manager who was supposed to be looking after his tenants instead plundered thousands of dollars worth of their possessions. When cops raided his secret cave they found fake breasts, bottles of whiskey, a telescope, an inflatable dinghy and even signed Don Bradman cricket bats.
Central Sydney
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A building manager who plundered thousands of dollars worth of property, including kitesurfing gear, tools, scotch whiskey and signed Don Bradman cricket bats, from the storage cages of unit dwellers has been sentenced to six years jail.
New Zealand-born Jaden Brian Hati was responsible for four unit complexes in Pyrmont – Jacksons Landing development, with his role including the management of day-to-day operations, contractors and residents at the buildings.
His life unravelled through ‘ice’ use and his marriage breakdown which led to the 43-year-old living out of his car.
The court heard Hati came to police attention in June 2019 after tapping the phone of a co-offender, with intercepted conversations between the pair repeatedly referencing stolen property inside a ‘cave’.
Detectives arrived at the complex and questioned Hati, which led the building manager to confess he had given an access tag to the accomplice. Police were however taken to another area of the basement car park and told that was the cave, which wasn’t the case.
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When the real ‘cave’ was uncovered three days later a treasure trove of stolen property – including golf clubs, fake breasts, diamond necklaces, laptops, a skateboard, a microphone, a telescope and inflatable dinghy – were found. Court documents reveal residents would report their stolen property to Hati.
The agreed facts reveal Hati had converted the maintenance space, which included neglected rainwater tanks, into a makeshift home featuring a shower, toilet, kitchenette, bed and TVs with one linked to stream live footage from a CCTV camera in the basement carpark.
Police also located on the New Zealand man’s phone photos of some of the stolen property sent to his accomplice with screenshots of eBay listings of similar items and also a ‘Notes’ file which listed some of the property.
The court heard Hati had given evidence he and his family were threatened by his accomplice which saw him take part in the criminal operation. The man also confessed he received cheap drugs.
Judge Penelope Hock said no sentence other than jail was appropriate and convicted Hati of four charges of break and enter with intent to commit indictable offence, deal with criminal proceeds of crime and destroy property.
Hati was sentenced to six years jail with a non-parole period of three years. He will be eligible for release in February 2023.