The man who helped plan the robbery of the Cloudy Bay Business Park near Blenheim in October would have preferred a sentence of imprisonment than home detention because it would take away the temptation to reoffend, according to his defence counsel.
In the end he was spared both options, and given a sentence of community service.
Lawyer Philip Watson said a sentence of home detention for his client Francis Bronson Freemantle, 24, of Waikawa, "would only set him up for failure" because he would feel trapped and would want to take his electronic bracelet off.
Home detention is a sentence in which a person wears an electronically monitored bracelet and is confined to their home 24 hours a day.
Mr Watson said Freemantle could handle prison because he had no control over the conditions, however Freemantle was worried "temptation would override his better judgement" if he was placed on home detention.
Freemantle admitted conspiracy to commit burglary and three receiving charges.
Judge Michael Behrens sentenced Freemantle to four months' community detention, which involves a curfew, 150 hours' community work and 12 months' intensive supervision when he appeared in the Blenheim District Court yesterday.
Freemantle was not a recidivist burglar, although he had a previous burglary conviction so wasn't a first-time offender either, Judge Behrens said. He was "not someone who is at a point yet to go to prison".
Mr Watson said Freemantle had talked with another man about the robbery while both were performing community work and Freemantle agreed to give him a pair of bolt cutters.
However the robbery on October 30 last year did not turn out as planned and ended up being a knifepoint robbery, he said. More than $20,000 worth of electronic equipment, including 13 flat-screen televisions, was taken during the robbery.
Daniel Winiata Kemp, 22, of Blenheim, faces an aggravated robbery charge in relation of the robbery.
- The Marlborough Express Last updated 13:53 11/02/2011
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