PHOTO: A Nelson property owner has been sentenced to 20 months in prison. FILE
A Nelson property owner has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after holding a power company meter reader against her will, in an incident that has left the victim traumatised and fearing for her safety.
👮♀️ Aggressive Stand-Off Shocks Long-Time Worker
The frightening ordeal unfolded on June 21, 2023, when the female meter reader, in her 60s, arrived at a rural property near Nelson for what should have been a routine job. Instead, she was met with hostility by Paul Hogarty, the property owner, who took her car keys and refused to let her leave.
Unable to drive away, the woman stayed trapped in her car for around 40 minutes, while Hogarty issued threats and made intimidating demands. She later described the event as having “projected a darkness on her everyday life.”
👨⚖️ Court Finds Hogarty Guilty on Multiple Charges
Despite denying the charges, Hogarty was found guilty by a jury in January 2025 on several counts:
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Kidnapping
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Unlawfully interfering with a motor vehicle
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Intimidation
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Resisting police
He represented himself at trial with limited legal support.
Judge Jo Rielly, delivering the sentence at the Nelson District Court, said the victim had every right to be there doing her job—a role she’d carried out for many years—when Hogarty’s behaviour left her “extremely distressed and afraid for her life.”
💬 “The Words You Used Traumatised Her”
Judge Rielly said Hogarty’s entrenched personal beliefs about society and legal systems played a key role in the incident, noting that he refused to co-operate with court processes from the outset.
“The words you used to attack and intimidate her traumatised her,” said Judge Rielly.
“She had no way of knowing what would happen to her.”
The court heard that even after she threatened to call the police, Hogarty showed no concern or remorse and continued to intimidate her until officers arrived. He then resisted arrest.
😔 Emotional Toll on Victim
In her victim impact statement, the woman said she now suffers from severe anxiety, dreads going to work, and has experienced financial hardship due to the trauma.
Judge Rielly said the victim wanted Hogarty to understand the seriousness of his actions:
“She feels you have taken away her right to feel safe.”
🧑⚖️ Prison Sentence Was “Avoidable”
While Judge Rielly agreed with the Crown’s proposed two-year starting point for the kidnapping charge, Hogarty received a four-month deduction for personal circumstances, including his clean criminal history—resulting in the final sentence of 20 months’ imprisonment.
The judge noted the Crown was open to home detention, and had he provided a suitable address, a non-custodial sentence with electronic monitoring could have been imposed. However, Hogarty refused to co-operate and declined to supply an address on multiple occasions.
“I’ve tried to reason with you… but you maintained that you do not consent to providing an address,” Judge Rielly said.
“It leaves me no alternative but to sentence you to prison.”
SOURCE: RNZ