A teenager who stole a car, a mountainbike and broke into a backpackers at Spring Creek within the space of a week has been jailed for eight months.
Nathaniel Graham Bourchier, 18, from Mayfield, Blenheim, was sentenced to eight months' jail for burglary of Swampy's Backpackers and two months' jail [concurrent] for theft of a mountainbike and unlawfully taking a car.
He was sentenced in the Blenheim District Court yesterday by Judge Ian Mill.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Frost said police stopped Bourchier at 1.50am on January 1 as he rode a mountainbike along a footpath. He claimed he found the bike lying in the street, but later admitted it had been taken from outside a house.
About 4am on January 5, Bourchier knocked at the door of the backpackers at Spring Creek before going in and helping himself to food and drink. Guests held Bourchier until police arrived.
On January 7, Bourchier took a Nissan Navaro from a Riverlands house before realising it was running out of petrol. He stopped the car and ran away, but was later found by a police dog.
Defence counsel Bryony Millar said Bourchier had lived in foster homes because he didn't have a home or any relatives. He had gone into the backpackers to get a lift back to Blenheim and alcohol had played a role in the offending, she said. He took a glass of juice from the fridge because he was thirsty.
His two months spent in custody meant that he had served his time, she said.
But Judge Mill said jail was the "only appropriate" sentence because Bourchier had breached bail and community work numerous times and he had nowhere to go for community or home detention. The most disappointing thing was that the offences had been committed just months after Bourchier received a prison sentence for unlawfully taking a car, he said.
Disorderly behaviourA man who stood in the path of a moving freight train was fined $250 yesterday.
Clinton Andrew Willetts, 39, of Blenheim, admitted disorderly behaviour and was also ordered to pay court costs.
Mr Frost said Willetts had been drinking on March 3 and was very drunk when he stood on the rail lines in Kinross St about 5.10pm. He picked up his bike and pretended to throw it at a freight train travelling from Picton to Christchurch.
He then gave the fingers to the driver, who thought he had hit Willetts so stopped the train and called police.
Judge Mill said Willetts must have been very drunk to be in that situation.
"You also caused stress to the driver."
Eight SubarusA Blenheim teenager was ordered to pay more than $30,000 reparation to the owners of eight Subaru Legacy vehicles he broke into.
Dominique Wilson, 17, was also sentenced to 200 hours' community work and nine months' supervision after admitting eight theft charges and eight charges of unlawfully interfering with a car.
Defence counsel Philip Watson said Wilson had no previous convictions and was in custody for a month awaiting sentencing. He had also written apology letters to all victims, was remorseful for his actions and "ready, willing and able" to pay reparation, he said.
At a previous court appearance, police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Single said police noticed a big rise in car break-ins before Christmas – about the same time Wilson came to Blenheim.
Wilson was breaking into the Subarus and going for joy rides while drunk and took items from cars six times and shoplifted twice.
He also bragged about committing similar crimes in other towns, he said.
Judge Mill wanted to make sure "the people who are out of pocket are paid back".
"This [reparation] will keep you poor for some time, but I expect you to pay it back. You're young enough to turn things around, and I hope you do."
Other chargesChristopher John Boyce, 42, of Blenheim, admitted eight burglaries on properties around Marlborough between August and October 2009 and will be sentenced on May 6.
Corey Christopher Eaton, 21, admitted assaulting a woman, wilful damage and possession of a pipe to smoke cannabis and was fined $500 and ordered to pay court costs. Michael Robert Norton, 20, of Blenheim, admitted disorderly behaviour and possession of a pipe to smoke cannabis and was fined $200 and ordered to pay court costs.Mark Graeme Stead, 46, of Blenheim, admitted failing to stop for police and was fined $250 and court costs.Thomas Watene David Rangi Emmerson, 30, unemployed of Omaka, admitted wailful trespass and was given a six-month suspended sentence.John Owen Materoa, 30, admitted intentional damage and was ordered to pay $4091.50.Denise Adele August, 34, admitted shoplifting and was sentenced to 100 hours' community work and nine months' supervision.
- The Marlborough Express
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