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Offender Databases David Lawson

David Rawiri Lawson

Alias

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Offences

A string of armed robberies, kidnapping and money laundering in the southern North Island between February and April 2001

Victims

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Offender Affiliations

Bryan James Wilson

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1974

Current Location

unknown

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to 10 years 6 months in August 2001

Background
From the Evening Post, 18 August 2001
A Waikanae man who bought a Jaguar car and a boat with the nearly $74,000 he took in four aggravated robberies was jailed for 10 years 6 months yesterday. David Rawiri Lawson, 27, unemployed, pleaded guilty to four aggravated robberies, kidnapping and money laundering. Wellington District Court judge Anne Gaskell said Lawson had robbed a Johnsonville restaurant where he had worked. He waited until only two staff were inside and went in, brandishing a rifle. He tied up the woman manager and her partner.

He took the woman to the safe and ordered her to open it. He took about $31,000 then locked the pair in a chiller. They escaped because one had a cellphone and called police. Judge Gaskell said he then robbed the Upper Hutt tavern and pizza shop. Again he waited until staff left. He had let down the tyre on the manager's car. When she came out she saw it and decided to walk to her home, which was only a moment or so from the shop. He then broke into her home. She had already undressed and was feeling ill from recent surgery. He used the rifle to force her back to the shop where he took $25,000.

The third robbery was of a Paremata restaurant where he got $5000. He had pointed the rifle at the back of the head of one of the students who worked there. Judge Gaskell said the last was a supermarket in Eastbourne where he took $13,000 and shut staff in a chiller. She said Lawson had an extended holiday in the South Island with his partner. She said the seven victims were traumatised and devastated. One of the students failed his exams and had to retake them. One woman suffered a cracked rib. The judge said Lawson had an extensive list of convictions running to 15 pages of printout.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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