Agent: I’m against ‘killing animals’
The real estate agent accused of sending a decapitated rat and soiled condoms and sanitary pads in the post says he didn’t have time to collect the items.
Grant Tucker also said in his closing submissions to the Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal that as a life-long member of the SPCA he didn’t believe in killing animals.
The agent faces two charges of disgraceful misconduct and the committee says Tucker sent offensive and derogatory letters and emails, which included homophobic slurs, in a “campaign of harassment” targeting his former boss and a lawyer. He denies the charges.
In closing yesterday, prosecutor Michael Hodge said even if the tribunal took into account only the acts Tucker admitted — such as the voicemail left on the phone of Custom Residential boss John Wills calling him a “c**k sucking f*****t” — it would be enough to amount to disgraceful behaviour.
But Tucker said he had just gone through a series of traumatic events and said his response was in line with that.
Tucker also said he didn’t believe the message was offensive because “the gays who live in Grey Lynn” call each other that.
Tucker, a Buddhist, worked for Auckland-based Custom Residential in 2011 but left after a dispute over commission.
He later took a successful complaint against the agency to the Disputes Tribunal, receiving a financial payout.
But prosecutor Michael Hodge said Tucker then launched a sustained campaign against Custom director John Wills and Wills’ solicitor, David Beard.
In April 2015, Tucker pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of posting a noxious substance (faeces) to Beard and was discharged without conviction.