Iuta Tuiafiso was sentenced in the Whangārei District Court on one count of being an unlicensed plumber. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
A man posing as a registered plumber convinced a family to completely renovate their bathroom and then undertook the job so poorly that a woman attempted to take her life from the emotional stress.
Iuta Tuiafiso, who has never held a practising licence to work as a plumber, met a couple from Onerahi who, after seeing photos of his work, were interested in hiring him.
Tuiafiso took them on as clients in August 2021.
Initially, the arrangement was to put in a new toilet, however, he convinced the family to renovate the entire bathroom. He estimated the job would take him six months.
With the help of another person, who was also not a registered plumber and was currently before the criminal court, Tuiafiso replaced the bath, shower and plumbing.
Occasionally, he would show up at the property wearing a Master Plumbers NZ T-shirt, a national plumbing organisation he was never a member of.
When the job was complete in early 2022, the family was advised to enlist a third party to have it checked over. That was when the disaster that was Tuiafiso's work was uncovered.
A number of non-compliant issues were discovered including a water pipe that had been crimped, wall penetration that was not sealed, and poly tape that had been used to mask the increasing leaks.
A pipe was found to have been installed upside down and the family also experienced issues with mould after waste from the bathroom and shower began leaking through the property.
As a result of his work on the bathroom, Tuiafiso appeared before the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board which eventually led to criminal charges being laid against him.
The board described his conduct as exceptionally serious due to the period of time it took place, the particularly poor results, the high cost of remediation and because he had brought on another unlicensed person to complete the job.
Tuiafiso's work has also been the subject of a lengthy civil case, during which the homeowners made a victim impact statement detailing the emotional toll it had taken on the family.
They revealed it had led to one of the homeowners attempting to take her life.
This week, the criminal prosecution wrapped up as Tuiafiso was sentenced in the Whangārei District Court on one count of being an unlicensed plumber.
A second count of the same charge was withdrawn in August.
Judge John McDonald highlighted the exceptional amount of stress Tuiafiso had caused the family who has since sold the property and moved town.
"Her mental health suffered hugely ... I can well understand that," he said, referring to one of the homeowners.
"This prosecution has been brought on behalf of the community to ensure plumbers are properly qualified ... People who want work done on their bathroom want someone competent."
Tuiafiso was fined $2000 and ordered to pay court costs.
He has also been ordered to pay an undisclosed sum to the family as a result of the civil case.
Aleyna Hall, chief executive of the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, said a property owner's wallet was not the only thing that could be affected by plumbing work being carried out by an unauthorised person.
"Sanitary plumbing work undertaken by unlicensed practitioners creates significant risks," she told NZME.
"Incorrectly installed plumbing fixtures have the potential to cause health issues and may cause damage to the structure of a property. Using unlicensed practitioners may also mean the cost of remediation work for an affected property is not covered by your insurance.
"Regardless of whether a tradesperson is known or recommended to you, check our register to see if they are authorised to carry out the work," Hall said.
The board encouraged people to check its register of licensed and authorised practitioners before hiring a worker to undertake sanitary plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying.
This story was originally published by the New Zealand Herald.