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Sharvin Lodge

Sharvin Lodge review: He stops at nothing to rip people off 44

K
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3:21 am EDT
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Kevin Smith of Christchurch New Zealand will stop at nothing to rip people off. He has ripped a number of people off in the past including taking large sums of money off people by promising them shares and jobs in his businesses. Once these people realise that he has no intention of involving them in the business or ever giving them any money back and pursue getting their money back, he files for bankruptcy to avoid creditors.

He then sets up other structures to earn money from the very same business such as leasing it out to other people to run. It seems he has done this with Sharvin Lodge and earns a very nice income from it today. It is thought that he funded a great deal of the build and set up of Sharvin Lodge and possibly even part of the construction of his house on the same premises like this.

Kevin Smith promises the world to people but consistent with most self-righteous con artists he delivers only pain & sorrow. Kevin Smith is a devout Jehovahs Witness and probably believes that God sends him these people to rip off. Funny, does the bible not teach that 'though shall not steal'?

Apparently Smith is now trying to sell the whole property (House, Sharvin Lodge and land) for around $2million. If the property is sold, is this not the time to do the right thing and pay back all the people that he owes money to from this venture?! Honest people would think so.

NB ... It should be noted that the current people running Sharvin Lodge have nothing to do with Kevin Smith and his questionable ways. It is believed that they are good people and rent the premises off Smith running the business independent of him.

44 comments
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NZCL
NZ
Apr 11, 2011 4:45 am EDT

SHARVIN LODGE-Kevin Smith ripped our company with linens/table cloths now I see our table cloths neatly display on there website. Our hart goes out to the elderly people who lost everything.
Regards
NZCL (New Zealand Commercial Laundries)

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drumstix
NZ
Apr 27, 2011 11:03 am EDT
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Been ripped off by the wanker Kevin Smith too. Stole Deposit money he had promised to return and now wont return phone calls. Been 6 months of trying!

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beenrippedb4
NZ
Apr 29, 2011 1:43 am EDT
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Has he been charged with stealing their money? Surely he should be held accountable. Thanks for putting it out there, this guy needs to be stopped! Saw your message board, Good on you!

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karma no 2
NZ
May 05, 2011 8:51 pm EDT

Not to my knowledge has he been charged. It makes it difficult when the lawyers and police are assisting him. When i told a lawyer that i was going to make a complaint because he charged me 1, 850 nz dollars for pretending to sue the lawyer that represented me in court and the next evening 2 police constables from Papanui Police Station came to my house with a search warrant to look for a sign about 3 foot square to intmidate me because i was going to make a complaint to THE CANTERBURY LAW SOCIETY and looked in our wardrobes and elsewhere knowing there wasn't one. All i got from the Director of The District Law Society of Christchurch was he said there are 9oo hundred of us and you will have to see another lawyer. Now i can see why New Zealand is such a backward country because it's because lawyers are draining the country of all it's money. My experience has told me the Christchurch Police and most lawyers and the courts are corrupt and i can prove it . Funny my dad was a Police constable for about 18 years, but that was in the thirties, forties and fifties. Police represent the shark and the lawyers are the small fish that eat the leftovers[ money] the shark provides.

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peeedoff
NZ
May 13, 2011 10:27 am EDT
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I think something should be done. Are you aware that he is overseas on a months holiday in Kuala Lumpa and Hong Kong and Singapore? Probably on the proceeds of this fraud because that is what it is. You should not let people away with this sort of behaviour. How would he feel if someone did this to his mother and father? Gutted I should think. People have been done for less and here are all you people letting him get away with this behavior time and time again. If you cant put your money where your mouth is keep quiet. Seek advice and look at class action or whatever.

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eggy43
NZ
May 15, 2011 1:27 am EDT
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Thankyou peeedoff for your kindly advice .Sharon and Kevin and son Grant are unstopable . The present manager asked me to take the writing off my car and i agreed, because he received a wedding booking cancelation and he told me he signed a 10 year lease on the restaurant and has given a large sum of money to the Smiths . I have not told him i am writing this but did ask him to read about the old couple because he was not aware of the complaint. I explained to him, that i suspect the Smiths are trying to sell the business overseas, when he told me they were away and he would loose the large sum of money he had given for the 10 year lease. He replied, how can they do this? I said, i don't know. I WISH IT TO BE KNOWN THAT THE PRESENT MANAGER IS A VERY DECENT GENTLEMAN AND I WOULD ASK EVERYONE WHO WISHES TO GO TO THE COMPLEX TO ENJOY YOURSELVES AND GIVE HIM YOUR SUPPORT. HIS NAME IS NOT KEVIN SMITH, SIGNED, TERENCE N. CRISP. Please look at www.sharvin lodge complaints ostrich, as well. Thankyou for your support and i look forward to more of your comments.

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shovel
NZ
May 15, 2011 6:55 pm EDT

Dear Peeed off, i haven't any money. The Smith's have it all. I only have a mouth left. Have you any more suggestions? yours sincerely, Terry.xxxxx, actually i am strait.

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drumstix
NZ
May 27, 2011 12:17 pm EDT
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Went today to try for my deposit back. Apparently our day was not re-booked (even though i called twice to book the day to see if it was available and was told no) . He even conviently produced a diary that had no bookings on that day. I asked why his staff told me and someone else the venue was unavailable on that day. He got all defensive and started spouting ###. Apparently calling someone an Indian is racist ? Oh and he says he is going to sue everyone here for their complaints hahahahahah!

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terence crisp
NZ
May 29, 2011 7:22 pm EDT

Food for thought, A bee goes from flower to flower to steal the honey. A person i know, goes from person to person to steal their money.

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shovel bees up
NZ
May 30, 2011 1:10 pm EDT

Yes, i am a BEE FOOL RAMELLE, why don't we meet, and go out for tea. Just you and me? Life is short, we are in our last days. You see my number and know my name, there is a mite in my hive and i don't have much time left.

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Let's play
NZ
May 30, 2011 6:29 pm EDT

Naughty girl, your married, do you believe in wife swapping? Phone me anyway and let's chat . Do you have anything you would like to know about the Sharvin Lodge, or is that too boring? kiss, kiss.

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yekim
NZ
Jun 24, 2011 9:48 am EDT

Correct. Kevin, Sharon and Grant are thieving fraudsters

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karma no 2
NZ
Jun 25, 2011 7:58 am EDT

Greetings yekim . Now that Chloe Johnstone is not going ahead with THE SUNDAY HERALD article, would the other 4 persons she heard from please phone[ 03] 3441274 so we can meet one another, or if not, talk to me. Karma number 2. Thanks a lot friends .

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kia moor
NZ
Jul 08, 2011 11:58 pm EDT

hi friends, all i can say from these comments, that i would never blame or punish to someone who is not in fault. like poor this new manager trying to run his restaurant, writing abut sharvin lodge it does effect to his business. whatever kevin done, but we should not mantion about sharving lodge, cos its not new manager's fault.
wot u say?

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fleada
NZ
Aug 21, 2011 9:46 pm EDT

this is not new behaviour

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Good kiwii ripped off by Sharvin Indians
NZ
Oct 12, 2011 4:01 am EDT

I went to sharvin lodge today 12 October 2011 was treated very rudley bt y staff no fish in the pond they are ripp offs best to keep away from the slimy buggers

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Good kiwii ripped off by Sharvin Indians
NZ
Oct 12, 2011 4:08 am EDT

Sharvin lodge claim to have a pond teaming with fish its all lies they only have few tiddlers that would not even be eatable because they are so small. You guys are a scam and should be in court for misleading the public. If you look out the back there is heaps of rotten food to don mean to racist but we not in india clean you bloody act up you ripp offs

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Tony keys
NZ
Oct 16, 2011 8:15 am EDT

went to the lodge 11 oct they do not honour there vouchers we booked in for 7 people had 7 vouchers we only were aloud to used 2 of them so we had 7 people and two rods not good at all, the kid were not allowed to eat any of our own food on there grounds, tryed to charge us $5 for a hook that we lost trying to pull the line in though all the weed, one rod had only 5 metres of line could not cast it out don't wast your money here saff are so so so so rude if i had more money i would take them to court ### holes.

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labrador
NZ
Feb 11, 2013 9:23 pm EST

Well, where do i start, the more i talk to people about Sharvin Lodge, the more i find out who have been ripped off. That one bedroom cottage, i think is now advertised as two bedroom, may have had a room added since Grant and i lined it with gib board . Anyhow it has no insulation, as i was told by an enforcement officer of the Christchurch City Council it had a permit for a produce packing shed. I visited the two story house one day and the lining had been ripped off both sides of the stair case . Maybe to see if there was insulation included. Later i visited and the gib board was replaced. Why would one advertise a building like that and say it has insulation? You would think it would, wouldn't you? I would recommend checking before buying it.

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041 naughty
NZ
Feb 11, 2013 10:02 pm EST

Recently visited Sharvin Lodge every day and found not a soul about on 6 days, except Sunday, 2 people fishing, now seem to be the only day open.28 Degrees, lovely weather . The sign at the gate is on a slight angle, reminds me of the Titanic, sinking fast, does not seem if anyone cares. Perhaps God does exist, i would not know and tell you the truth, i don't give a rats ###. Kama, when you read this, i will probably hear you and your parents, laughing all the way from the good old U S A. Good Luck from rats ###. Perhaps the plumber that did not get paid for all the work on the cottage, will be happy too, because it was a permit for a produce packing shed and not living quarters.

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nivrahs
NZ
Feb 14, 2013 4:46 am EST

I met Mr Kevin Smith in 1996 who told me 13 Ostrich eggs were imported from Australia and 10 live chicks were hatched. One broke it's leg and he put it down. When we met there were nine 6 month old ostriches. My family paid 6, 000 nz dollars each for 6 birds and 2, 000 dollars each to have them farmed for 3 years. The contract said we would each split the number of chicks equally and all care and attention would be taken. Later on, when the Smith's were in Singapore apparently looking into this salmon fishing opportunity, a repossession agent went into the property and removed 5 ostriches The 6th bird was not there . A few extra birds were there. After catching all the birds and checking the micro chip numbers in their thighs we realised later Kevin had put the micro chip of the dead ostrich chick on our contract. He did not want to loose money, so we paid 8, 000 nz dollars for a micro chip. A trespass notice was issued to us before the Smith's went out of the country at the time of removal of the birds. We did not enter the property, only the truck driver and another man and the agent. Later on, at the District Court case, Smith told the Judge, Anthony Willy, the bird was still on the farm to be picked up. Actually, it was a different bird and by that time the birds were valued at 100 nz dollars each. We did hire a horse float and drove in to pick the bird up but Kevin was not there at the time arranged so we drove away. We didn't want to see him. We wanted to be our own council but another Judge said if you have a leaky roof you get a plumber and would not allow us to represent ourselves. As it turned out, we were told later that Willy was a rouge judge. We were told by Mr David Marriott an associate of Joynt Andrews that we had an 80 per cent chance of winning. Later Hector Dawson a partner in the business with his brother Jim, lost our case on purpose. Another lawyer told us he heard and argument taking place about ostriches. Yes, 5 weeks after Marriott told me we would hear from him, Hector Dawson wanted to see us and said he wanted 6, 000 dollars now not the 5, 000 that Marriott had quoted. Hector said Marriott had gone back to Auckland for more money. Hector said he will use the fair trading act. You see Marriott had taken his 1, 000 so we had to pay the extra 1, 000 to Dawson before the case as he knew he was going to loose the case and we may not pay him. He told us Smith did not have a lawyer to make us think he would be at a disadvantage. Things like he had not been to Sharvin Lodge for a meal. Probably had been there to see Smith and work out a plan what they would say in court. to be continued...

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worraps
NZ
Feb 15, 2013 9:01 am EST

I spoke to a Security guard about Sharvin Lodge and he told me a previous manager was not paid and died of cancer. I spoke to a lady working at the Cafe Rouge, a restaurant at the South City Mall and asked her if she was a Jehovah Witness .She said her father was and Smith did not pay her and gave her wages to the church. She was upset and did not want to talk about Smith. I spoke to the plumber who pulled out all the black water piping in the cottage that Smith and his father Edward installed and replaced it with the correct piping and put insulation around the pipes that required it. I asked him if he was a Jehovah Witness later on the telephone after the job was finished and he said no. He said he sent 2 invoices to Smith but never got paid. I watched the plumber working at the time when the Smith's were working at the Cafe Rouge. Of Course he would not know at the time that the cottage had a permit for a produce packing shed so it was illegal to install the work he was doing .Smith got the windows from The Windows Market and told me the cottage cost him 35, 000 dollars and he was chuffed.The builder told me he would not be building the Mansion because Smith forgets his cheque book. I spoke to a lady in the High Court and she said she was the daughter of the owner of the property Smith was buying. Yes i said i saw him a number of times visiting the property coming to see Smith . I said it would be wondering about the payment of the property. She said yes... to be continued

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crime does pay
NZ
Feb 15, 2013 2:44 pm EST

Sorry Kia moor, but it's too late now. The damage is done. I am sorry for the new manager who i have met. . If the earthquakes never happened, he would not have been caught in this position. He is not old like me and still has years left . I WISH HIM WELL, BUT HE IS IN WHITE ELEPHANT TERRITORY AND ELEPHATS HAVE LONG MEMORIRS THEY SAY. I feel we have all been ripped off by the Smith's who think they are clever, and they must be, to be able to get away with what they do. U SAY we should not mantion, U sure U don't mean mention Shaving Lodge or did U mean Sharvin Lodge, perhaps in India it may be spelt Shafting Lodge. I haven't been to India, so i don't know. Well, we still have lovely fine weather and tomorrow is Sunday, it must be time to go and spy again and see how many people are fishing. Wot U say?

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boy racer
NZ
Feb 15, 2013 8:15 pm EST

I went to the indoor market just up the road and met a gentleman who had fishing nets for sale. I said, do you know about Sharvin Lodge?He said K. Smith got a number of nets from him, but did not pay him, so he went and reposessed them. Another gentelman called at our house selling Dorchester Finance . His name was Brent Johnson and told me he owned 22 greyhounds and had them in some stables he was renting off K . Smith. He told me Smith did not pay the owner of the stables for the rent of them. K. Smith asked him if he would like to be a cook and offered him 15 dollars per hour. A repossen agent told me he has repossed a car or cars off K. Smith. I met a woman at the same market who told me they don't honour their vouchers. Shar, Sharon, vin Kevin =Sharvin so Kevin told me. THIS PROPERTY I BELIEVE, NAMED SHARVIN LODGE, WAS BUILT ON LIES, THEFT . FRAUD and a little sweat. Whoe's sweat i am not sure about. I emailed the secretary of the musician's club wth the heading FRAUD as some of the members were playing at the Lodge. I asked her not to tell Kevin. Well blow me down, she must have, because about 1 week later a police car was waiting for me down our road and stopped me just along from our house. He asked me where i had been, I said down to the bank. He then asked me if i was unemployed? Well i am 79 years of age. Don't i deserve to be retired? He wanted to see my driver's licience, wrote down particulars, then he said, see you around. thought not if i can help it. Anyway i think it was the next Sunday and another police car was waiting for me down the road as we stopped outside the Oassis Church where we get our weekly vegetables for free at 9 am. Well bugger me, a cop got out of his police car and looked embarressed as he asked me for my driver's licience. It seamed as though he had been told to harass me and didn't heck me out too much. Not like the other time i told you about before. Anyway i held these 2 cops up by talking to them through the window of the police car about my father, who was a police constable for about 18 years. I LIKE TO WASTE THEIR TIME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. After about 5 minutes the driver who looked like a young kid drove off like a boy racer over the railway line at speed . The line is raised and it is diffuicult to see over it untill your just about on the lines. He could have killed someone walking across the road on the other side. ...to be continued. i explained previously, how the lawyers and police are helping K. Smith.

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tnahpele
NZ
Feb 15, 2013 11:11 pm EST

Just remembered another incident. I think it may have been Tim Fleetwood who was into ostriches at the time who told Pyne Gould and Guinness that K. Smith had sold the ostriches to us. Lindsey Smith who worked at Pyne Gould and Guinness at the time phoned me and wanted me to bring the contract we made with Smith . He read the contract and said K .Smith agreed he would not sell the ostriches until he had paid for the eggs. Lindsey Smith spoke to me and told me next day that K.Smith arrived to see him and denied selling the ostriches. Linsdsey told me he told K.Smith, Terry Crisp was sitting where your sitting yesterday and i think he may have said he saw the contract. Of Course he read the contract. I received a letter from Smith's lawyer which said the eggs were paid in full. Later on Lindsey Smith told me 600 dollars were still owing. So what does that tell you about K.Smith? An enforcement officer of the Christchurch City Council told me Smith had not paid for the sealing to be done at the entrance to the property.To be continued when i remember about that dream i had about the WHITE ELEPHANTS CHARGING UP THE LONG DRIVEWAY AND SWIMMING IN THE FISH POND AND EATING ALL THE SMALL SALMON AND THEN SMASHING THE RESTARAUNT TO PIECES. SOMETIMES I WAKE UP LATE AT NIGHT AFTER HAVING A WET DREAM . It's those damn elephants giving me nightmares and seeing them all wet. cheerio for now . When i see some INDIAN ELEPHANTS i will let you know.

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rats arse
NZ
Feb 16, 2013 5:49 pm EST

I have written these comments to help you understand what your up against if you have anything to do with the Smith family who had this idea of a place called Sharvin Lodge built on lies, theft, fraud, and greed.

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Rat's tail .
NZ
Feb 16, 2013 11:49 pm EST

Oh, Mr K. Smith has a weak handshake, speaks fairly softly i think . Wears a trimmed mustache so that he looks intelligent and better than someone who is clean shavin. Only used to shop at Pack and Slave because he had to pay cash to get cheap wine for the restaurant and i am not sure about beer, as i saw his grandson guarding a shopping trolley of alcohol in the ANZ bank at the Hornby Hub while he was writing. He must not be seen shopping for groceries at Pack and Slave because rich people can't be seen shopping in a cheap grocery store. Likes to be seen to be rich, eg, the expensive furniture on the web site. Enjoys rubbishing people in court and telling lies about his opponent to the best of his ability. Ted, his father, said his son is untidy with his tools when we were working for free with him. We enjoyed working on the farm for free at the time, until a few unfortunate things happened. to be continued...

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a gift from heaven
NZ
Feb 20, 2013 10:26 pm EST

Dear Complaints Board, thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart for all your doing for our family. I did not expect such coverage . YOUR A GIFT FROM HEAVEN. Terence Crisp.

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big birds
NZ
Mar 12, 2013 11:23 pm EDT

We were issued with trespass notices and so we were allowed to see our ostriches only through the fence from the neighbour's property. Each day we would visit and one day we saw one bird missing One Sunday i believe, the Smith's arrived home to the cottage from church about 1pm and Laurence called out through the trees and asked if we could dig the bird up and Kevin agreed . It was about 29 degrees and we cut the legs off the smelly carcass and took them to Kaiapoi where Mr Peters was farming ostriches and had a microchip reader. Well the microchip number indicated the bird belonged to Mr Smith . Next morning K . Smith phoned and asked me if we had found the microchip . I told him, yes we had, just beneath the skin on the thigh. I think Kevin wished he had refused us to enter and exhume the bird as his intention was for it to rot away and to say the bird was ours and it had died. Ian Robinson, a lawyer, told us if anything happens to the birds we would sue Mr Smith. We arrived at 8 am next morning with the smelly leg in the car, at the Harley building where the office of the lawyer was situated. Ian Roberson said we should have made an appointment and did not want to see the leg. Well, we were so disgusted he would not make time to see the leg with the microchip, indicating it was not our bird we went home .We asked for the account to be posted out so we could pay him and never returned .All that trouble we went to and no satisfactory result. I spoke to the head man of the Hornby Police and he said it is about contracts and it is a civil case. What do you think it is ? Not a Police matter? I think i heard where a mario boy went to prison for stealing some pineapple chocolate lumps.

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God Help me please
NZ
Apr 20, 2013 7:49 am EDT

The family of a Christchurch man killed when he was hit by a truck while delivering Jehovah's Witnesses pamphlets say his death leaves ''an irreplaceable gap'' in their lives.

Grant Edward Cormack Smith, 43, lived only about 100 metres from the spot where he was hit in Pound Rd, Yaldhurst, about 12.10pm on Wednesday.

He had pulled over to drop pamphlets into neighbours' letterboxes.

His wife, Melinda, was in the passenger seat.

Smith grew up in the Jehovah's Witnesses church and was a member of the Avonhead congregation.

Church elder Rob Taylor said the pamphlets Smith was delivering invited people to a celebration memorial of the death of Jesus on Tuesday, the same day as the Jewish Passover.

Taylor said Smith was a ''very nice family man'' and the congregation was offering the family ''lots of support''.

''It's just a freak accident; just tragic circumstances. He was just a very nice, considerate kind of person, '' he said.

''They have freezer loads of food donated; flowers. They are overwhelmed with the support they are getting.''

A public funeral is planned for 1.30pm on Monday at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Winesses in Waitikiri Dr, Burwood.

A death notice published in The Press today read: ''Grant was known by all and especially his family as a very special, kind, generous and loving man ... His sudden death will leave an irreplaceable gap in all their lives. A tragic loss of a very special man.''

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Police said the southbound light truck had crossed the centre line and hit Smith and his car, which was parked facing north.

Road policing manager Inspector Al Stewart said the most likely scenario was that the truck driver "blacked out" because of a medical condition or fell asleep at the wheel.

The truck continued for about 10 metres after the impact before coming to a stop in a ditch.

The 52-year-old truck driver was to be formally interviewed yesterday.

A Pound Rd resident said she heard a "loud, long noise".

She saw Smith's satchel and Jehovah's Witnesses pamphlets were strewn across the road.

Smith's father came across the crash scene and was very upset, she said.

Smith and his wife have two teenage children.

The family lives on the same Pound Rd property as Smith's parents, Kevin and Sharon Smith, some of which is leased to Sharvin Lodge.

Lodge owner Manav Soni said learning of Smith's death was "the shock of my life".

It was tragic he was killed while "delivering God's message", he said.

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Punishment slow in coming.
NZ
Apr 20, 2013 11:47 am EDT

Kevin, when your riding the ride on mower that Grant used to ride and your trying to hold back the tears, give a thought to all the people you stole money off and what they must have felt like . The stress you gave them, the feelings of anger, how they wanted to punish you somehow but were unable to. Justice has been slow in coming, but now Grant is gone i sincerely hope you have more suffering to come.

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He Stops At NOTHING
NZ
May 08, 2013 3:28 pm EDT

Church elder, Rob Taylor, told me everything is resolved with Kevin Smith. LIKE HELL IT IS .CERTAINLY NOT IN THIS HOUSE. I am amazed K. Smith and wife Sharon are allowed anywhere near the Jehovah's Witnesses Churches. The only ones i feel extremely sorry for is Melinda and children. I wish Melinda well and hope some day she can find happiness .There are people in prison that should not be there and people out of prison that should be in prison i believe. He stops at nothing, remember, He stops at nothing, nothing, nothing, NOTHING. NOTHING, YES NOTHING, SO LOOK OUT, WATCHOUT, REMEMBER WHAT KAMA SAID, HE STOPS AT NOTHING, NOTHING,

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yenom
NZ
Aug 10, 2013 11:07 pm EDT

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxmCCsMoD0 watch this please if you think it is appropriate.

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comments 1
NZ
Dec 16, 2013 2:56 pm EST

Kevin Smith just telephoned me and asked me to say that all above comments Terence Crisp made are unsubstantiated .I wish to retract all above comments.

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karma no 2
NZ
Jan 15, 2014 9:14 pm EST

So, who are they?
A Pahiatua lawyer for 20 years, Sir David went on to the dizzy heights of district court judge, family court judge, principal youth court judge, chief district court judge and chairman of the parole board.

Never far from the headlines, he cracked the cone of conventional judicial silence when, in 2001 – and after refusing to answer National Business Review's questions – he leapt into print elsewhere to defend the dodgy performance of fellow judge and ex-Christchurch barrister Tony Willy.

Judge Willy was found by High Court Justice Grant Hammond to have misconducted himself so seriously and unfairly in his handling of a Tauranga property dispute that a complete retrial was ordered.

When NBR exposed Judge Willy’s misconduct under the heading “Rogue district court judge wreaks judicial havoc”, Sir David, then the yet-to-be-knighted chief district court judge and Judge Willy’s boss, ducked for cover, as did Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias.

Despite serious concerns expressed by lawyers about the judge’s misconduct and whether he should stay in the job, both judicial leaders refused to comment to NBR on the future of Judge Willy – then on $186, 000 a year – and what action would be taken against him.

Sir David then defended Judge Willy’s performance in specialist legal publication New Zealand Lawyer – an organ which did not ask hard questions.

Sir David was allowed to say the judiciary was “taking on the chin” recent “bad press” for some of its members – a reference to NBR’s exposure of Judge Willy.

Threatened contempt action came to nothing
He even waved the big stick at NBR, saying contempt of court proceedings may follow.

They didn’t because there were clearly no grounds for such desperately punitive action.

Solicitor-General Terence Arnold – now a Justice of the Court of Appeal – also rushed to Judge Willy’s defence, saying it was all part of living in a democracy, whatever that meant.

In the New Zealand Lawyer story, Sir David said Judge Willy was “setting agreed protocols” to get to the top of a serious backlog of civil cases.

He went even further, saying Judge Willy’s performance was “a measured response to a serious arrears of civil work; it was an approach that had the full support of lawyers…”

All of which would have been news to Justice Hammond, who described the case Judge Willy blew as an “economic disaster” for the parties.

Justice Hammond’s ruling, and other appeal judgments, showed Judge Willy was the target of a range of accusations including bias, unfairness, impatience, brusqueness, skepticism, sarcasm, disruption, irrelevance, irritation, aggression, unprovoked interventions, lack of understanding, prejudice and unevenness.

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willdavis
NZ
Jan 17, 2014 1:23 am EST

By JAN CORBETT

Litigants in a Tauranga property deal that turned sour must go back to court and face an expensive retrial because a district court judge conducted the case unfairly.

Taxpayers may end up picking up the tab after Justice Grant Hammond, in the High Court at Hamilton, suggested the parties ask the Department for Courts to be reimbursed for the expenses of the trial.

He ordered a retrial on the grounds that Judge Tony Willy conducted an unfair trial when the Williams and Willems families went to court over a disputed boundary on a Katikati property.

Describing it as his "melancholy burden" to explain his ruling, Justice Hammond noted that cases such as this, where a complete retrial was necessary because a judge "so misconducted himself, " were rare in this country.

According to the tapes and transcripts which Justice Hammond reviewed, Judge Willy continually interrupted during the trial, at times in a disruptive and irrelevant manner, and failed to grasp the fundamental points of the case.

The clearly exasperated Judge Willy warned that the case must not run any longer than the four days for which it was set down, and he considered even that excessive.

Yet he adjourned the case at 1.30 pm on the first day without explanation, took an unusually long morning break of 40 minutes on the second day, and insisted cross-examination be finished at 1 pm that day despite lawyer Stephen Langton's protestations that he had not asked all his questions.

According to witnesses who were in the public gallery during the trial, Judge Willy became "impatient, rolled his eyes, breathed deeply and audibly and leaned back in his chair and looked towards the ceiling."

English-born Judge Willy, 60, was appointed to the district court bench in 1985. He retired several years ago, and now operates on a temporary judicial warrant allowing him to travel the country to help clear a backlog of civil cases.

He is one of two judges who sit on the Taxation Review Authority, has been involved in legal education and has written publications on district court practice.

Judge Willy is also the director of a number of companies, including Cloudy Bay Developments and a company proposing to build a hotel and airstrip on Pitcairn Island.

Justice Hammond noted that although judges were under increasing pressure to improve court efficiency, in this instance Judge Willy's "unprovoked interventions substantially contributed to the unfairness of the trial."

Department for Courts solicitor David Campbell said he had spoken to one of the parties over reimbursing their costs, estimated at $160, 000 for a case where $150, 000 was at issue. But no agreement has been reached.

In the meantime, both litigants face the costs of the appeal brought by the Williams after Judge Willy's ruling in favour of the Willems, and a new trial.

They can also take advantage of new procedures for laying complaints against judges, but this process is confidential and does not result in any penalty to the judge.

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highway ak47
NZ
Jan 25, 2014 3:28 pm EST

Avoid patronising Elms Hotel as KEVIN SMITH, GRANT SMITH and SHARON SMITH are involved in running it.Kevin Smith has not returned my money yet and he is cheating more people, getting their money by dubious means and then letting them rot in hell.Till date he has conned 72 people and the list is getting bigger.Join us in exposing him.

Comments New Zealand

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karma no 2
NZ
Jul 15, 2015 11:48 pm EDT

Kevin, I was told you said you are depressed and have lost heart. I see the sign, The Corporate Club at the entrance has been removed and I do not hear your advertising on the radio anymore. .

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guns and roses
NZ
Feb 07, 2017 10:36 pm EST

Daddy, what is a freemason? It is my opinion son that a freemason is a person who wakes up in the morning and thinks what can I get for free today? You see son, Judges, lawyers, politicians and it is my opinion that Kevin Smith is one that is why the police and lawyers and Judges help him use the court system to his benefit When a lawyer lies to his clients like D.H. P. Dawson did to us and was rude and abusive and lies were printed in the Christchurch Press newspaper about the Crisp family and Judge Anthony Willy gave the decion in favor of the Smiths.

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roses and guns
NZ
Feb 08, 2017 5:57 pm EST

When a lawyer like D. H. P. Dawson says to his clients that it all depends what the Judge has for breakfast ..cornies or wheatbix what his decision will be you know it is best not to attend the Court Case. Also if you are told some one should sit on him, meaning my son and there are deliberate mistakes in a brief he posted 1 week before the Court Case and then on the morning of the case the typist is correcting the mistakes that you require done before Dawson arrives.

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Sharvin Lodge - fraud 1
Resolved
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