Burglary of pharmacy results in year’s jail

Press, 21 February 1987, Page 4

Burglary of pharmacy results in year’s jail

A man who burgled a pharmacy last October 16, while on parole from prison was sentenced to a year in prison when he appeared for sentence in the District Court, yesterday.

Judge Anderson told Edward Lyall Williams, aged 19, unemployed, that the crime of burglary was in epidemic proportions in New Zealand. When an offender committed this type of offence while on parole from prison, the Court had no option but to impose a custodial sentence, unless very special circumstances applied. The Judge said he would have little confidence in the defendant’s undertaking a sentence of periodic detention, which had been sought by defence counsel, Mr E. Bedo.

On the charge of burglary, Williams was jailed for a year. He was given a concurrent term of three months’ imprisonment for committing a breach of parole by failing to comply with a condition to take treatment. PUBLIC OBLIGATION

While the public had to be protected against thefts from cars they also had an obligation to lock their

cars so that others would not be tempted to take property from them.

This and other submissions made by defence counsel, Mr W. Rosenberg, in the District Court yesterday did not prevent Henry John Luafutu, aged 28, a gardener, from being sent back to prison, when he appeared for sentence on three charges of theft of women’s handbags, one of theft or running shoes from a shop, and a charge of being in a building without reasonable excuse. The offences occurred in December and January.

The theft offences were stealing a handbag from a massage parlour, two handbags from a car, and running shoes valued at $93 from a shop.. On the first theft charge he was jailed for six months. He was given concurrent terms of three months imprisonment for the other thefts, and one month ■ for being unlawfully in a building. The Judge said the offences were committed while Luafutu was on parole from prison. He was sentenced to seven months' imprisonment last August Luafutu’s past history

showed he had been involved in offences of dishonesty, for a considerable time.

He had had three previous sentences of periodic detention.

The Judge said Luafutu had shown a complete lack of respect and a disregard for other people’s property. He had shown contempt for the parole provisions and the concessions granted to him by the prison authorities.

The Judge said Luafutu’s offending showed a pattern of quick, opportunist snap thieving.

He had no confidence in Luafutu’s protestations to reform and become a good citizen. The public was entitled to a rest from his activities; if he wished to reform he could do so after he had served his sentence.

Mr Rosenberg, in his submissions, had sought a community-based sentence.

He said in regard to the thefts from the car that the car’s door had been left open and Luafutu "looked in and saw these things and the temptation was too much for him.”

Mr Rosenberg said the public had to be protected against thefts from cars,

but the public also had an obligation to lock their cars so that others would not be tempted to steal from them. The Judge: What a commentary on society. Mr Rosenberg agreed. FOUR BURGIJkRIES A Hastings man was given prison sentences totalling a year for three burglaries committed in Hastings in September and October last year, a burglary of a Christchurch dwelling on January 28, committing a breach of periodic detention in Hastings on December 5, and theft of a cheque book worth $1.50 from one of his family in Hastings last June 21.

The defendant Ricky Peter Robert Leslie Lange, aged 20, a beneficiary, was appearing for sentence.

He was given concurrent sentences of a year’s jail for each of the burglaries, and one month for the theft, and breach of probation. His counsel, Mr E. Bedo, had sought a further sentence of periodic detention.

The Judge said victims of burglaries had a real fear regarding the protection and invasion of their properties.

Lange had received a "merciful” sentence of periodic detention in Hastings on December 2 on a theft charge, and had then travelled to Christchurch, committing another burglary, and being in breach of his periodic detention order.

The rehabilitation aspect did not weigh very highly in view of his offending, and the public was entitled to protection