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Police have laid a fourth shoplifting charge against former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman.��

The fourth charge filed against Ghahraman, who had her first court appearance delayed again, allegedly relates to a new store.��

Police say the fourth shoplifting charge, revealed this week by the Herald, occurred in Newmarket on December 22.��

Previous charges related to Scotties Boutique in Ponsonby and Cre8iveworx in Wellington.��

Police said the complainant in the fourth charge came forward in late January. That is after the initial three charges were laid.��

The police statement does not specify the name of the store.��

It is expected the Auckland District Court registry will release charging documents on Tuesday at which point the name of the store is likely to emerge.��

Her first appearance was scheduled for Wednesday but has now been pushed back for a second time after police told her lawyer Annabel Cresswell they were laying the fourth charge.��

Cresswell said it was a standard adjournment for when a new charge is laid.��

Police are considering diversion and other issues that are considered at this early stage in the court process, she explained.��

• Ex-Green MP Golriz Ghahraman facing new fourth charge
• Golriz Ghahraman accused of stealing nearly $10k worth of goods
• Golriz Shoplifting Allegations: MP resigns as Green Party blindsided by third allegation of shoplifting
• Green MP Golriz Ghahraman faces third shoplifting allegation, this time in Wellington- report

Details from court documents for the first three charges show the 43-year-old is accused of stealing $2060 of clothing from Scotties Boutique in Auckland’s Ponsonby on December 21, and $7223 worth of clothing from the same store two days later last year.��

Both of the Auckland charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.��

Scotties Boutique in Ponsonby, where Golriz Ghahraman is alleged to have shoplifted. Photo / Jason Oxenham��

Ghahraman is also charged with stealing $695 worth of clothing from Wellington’s Cre8iveworx store on October 22 last year. That charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison.��

The total value of items she is alleged to have shoplifted is $9978.��

In an earlier statement, Ghahraman,��who resigned from Parliament in January, apologised for her behaviour and said she did not excuse her actions.��

She cited “extreme stress”��and linked it to previously unrecognised trauma. She said she was��seeking help from mental health professionals.��

Green MP Golriz Ghahraman is accused of stealing from Wellington store Cre8iveworx before taking items from Scottie's Boutique in Ponsonby several months later. Photos / Mark Mitchell, Melissa Nightingale��

In her statement, Ghahraman said the stress had led her to act in ways that were “completely out of character”.��

“I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them.��

“The mental health professional I see says my recent behaviour is consistent with recent events giving rise to extreme stress response, and relating to previously unrecognised trauma.��

“People should, rightly, expect the highest standards of behaviour from their elected representatives. I fell short. I’m sorry. It’s not a behaviour I can explain because it’s not rational in any way, and after medical evaluation, I understand I’m not well.��

“It is a great honour to serve as a Member of Parliament. I am proud of my advocacy work on human rights and foreign affairs, and particularly proud of campaigns that resulted in practical improvements to the electoral laws governing donations and overseas voting.”��

George Block is an Auckland-based reporter with a focus on police, the courts, prisons and defence. He joined the��Herald��in 2022 and has previously worked at Stuff in Auckland and the��Otago Daily Times��in Dunedin.��