At sentencing in June last year, Judge John Walker noted Salmon was to be deported to the UK after leaving prison.<\/p>\n
Salmon had fallen in with a bad crowd at a young age, leading to prison time back home before he became involved with an international criminal operation that drew him to New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Reece Alexander Salmon, then 27, appeared in the Wellington District Court in 2025 for sentencing after defrauding multiple elderly victims. Photo \/ Melissa Nightingale<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re still relatively young. You have the ability to change,\u201d Judge Walker said. <\/p>\n
\u201cClearly since you were a young person you\u2019ve been mixing with a criminal crowd. Your background of offending has made that likely that you will be engaged with others who will lead you into a path of offending.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have the ability to decide on your return to the UK whether you will continue with that type of connection or separate yourself and concentrate on your partner and child. That\u2019s a decision that you have to make.\u201d<\/p>\n
Salmon\u2019s family described him as a \u201cloving partner and son\u201d who left behind many friends and loved ones, and said they were \u201cutterly devastated\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is impossible to put our loss into words.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018I deserve to be jailed\u2019<\/p>\n
Salmon pleaded guilty in New Zealand to 15 counts of obtaining cash and gold by deception, and two counts of attempting to obtain by deception, before being sentenced in the Wellington District Court last year.<\/p>\n
His victims ranged in age from 69 to 95, with Salmon visiting one of the victims at their home in a retirement village to defraud them.<\/p>\n
Before sentencing, Salmon addressed Judge Walker, apologising for what he had done to the victims.<\/p>\n
\u201cI deserve to be jailed and I hope today this is the closure that they are entitled to,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Members of the criminal group Salmon had worked with impersonated police, getting victims to co-operate in what they believed was an undercover investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe victims\u2019 assistance involved them withdrawing large amounts of cash from their banks or, in some cases, purchasing gold bullion,\u201d the judge said.<\/p>\n
The victims would take the cash or gold to their homes, and a courier would arrive and give them a pre-arranged codeword before taking the \u201cdelivery\u201d away.<\/p>\n
Reece Alexander Salmon has died aged 28 after a stabbing in central London.<\/p>\n
Salmon was the courier in the Wellington region, taking money and gold from 19 victims between late July 2024 and early August, often while wearing disguises.<\/p>\n
Police became aware of the scam when one victim was asked to buy $170,000 in gold bullion. Officers intercepted and arrested Salmon when he arrived to collect the gold.<\/p>\n
In total, he took $239,500 in cash and $172,000 in gold from his victims.<\/p>\n
Reading the victim impact statements, Judge Walker said one widow, who lived alone, had $171,000 in gold and $20,000 in cash stolen over four visits.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis had a huge impact on her confidence, and she felt vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other victims reported a loss of trust and confidence, feeling more isolated and suffering sleepless nights.<\/p>\n
Judge Walker allowed sentence discounts for Salmon\u2019s guilty pleas and the impact imprisonment would have on his partner and daughter, then aged 3. He sentenced him to four years in prison.<\/p>\n
A New Zealand Parole Board spokeswoman confirmed Salmon was granted parole in February this year.<\/p>\n
Immigration NZ\u2019s national manager of compliance, Fadia Mudafar, said Salmon was deported on May 25.<\/p>\n