Tipene Funerals owners break silence after ex-employee jailed

The owners of Tipene Funerals have spoken out for the first time after a former long-time employee was jailed for misconduct in relation to burials.

Francis and Kaiora Tipene told TVNZ's Marae they should have noticed something sooner, but said they knew nothing of former employee Fiona Bakulich's offending.

For the full story, watch Marae on TVNZ+

Fiona Bakulich, 48, a former employee, was jailed for two years and three months and ordered to pay more than $16,900 in reparations over her misconduct.

She pleaded guilty to two charges of interfering with human remains and 12 charges of obtaining by deception in February. Her offending related to 11 victims in total. But the Crown dropped one charge of interfering with human remains at sentencing.

The Tipene owners spoke to Marae in their first interview since Bakulich was jailed.

Francis said he was called to a meeting alongside Bakulich at Waikumete Cemetery by Auckland Council staff, where the first of her crimes was exposed.

Cyclone Gabrielle had badly damaged a mausoleum housing two coffins interred by Bakulich. Repairs to the roof necessitated the disinterment of the remains, revealing she had not installed the zinc liner required and pocketed the $3000 in cash instead.

"The reaction was this deep, sickening feeling," Francis said.

"I just couldn't believe how someone could do that."

Bakulich was stood down for six weeks and continued offending upon her return to work.

The pair said they only discovered she had further defrauded families after her dismissal.

"We had no idea this was going on, and I wish we did so we could have acted sooner," Francis said. "It's my fault, I should have been more onto it, overseeing it all, but I'm deeply apologetic to those whānau."

Asked how the charges weren't detected in the company's accounting, Francis said the transactions were taking place off-site, in cash, and usually without an invoice or receipt.

"I couldn't monitor that, regardless, so that's a hard one to swallow."

The company would have to "build trust from the bottom up", the pair said of their business' relationship with the community.

Marae did not receive a response when Fiona Bakulich's lawyer was approached for comment.

For the full story, watch Marae on TVNZ+