Tourist trapped by temper tantrum
"He was intending to go back to Australia in a couple weeks, but has to stay longer now to pay off reparation." Lawyer Marian Anderson
A man is set to have an extended holiday in New Zealand, and may spend some of it in a jail cell, after taking his feet to the glass doors of a tourist information centre.
Martin Dean Tobin has only been in the country for a month, and was planning to return to Australia soon, but needs to pay $1329 before he can leave.
But the more urgent task is paying $200 within a month, otherwise he will spend time in prison.
The 43-year-old Sydney man’s plight unravelled in the Palmerston North District Court on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to wilful damage.
His crime was smashing two glass doors on the city’s i-site information centre on February 16. Police say he kicked in one door and threw something at the other, but duty lawyer Marian Anderson said he kicked in both.
Tobin was a sickness beneficiary back home due to issues with his eyes, and had travelled to New Zealand for a holiday, Anderson said.
‘‘He was intending to go back to Australia in a couple weeks, but has to stay longer now to pay off reparation.
‘‘He is not able to borrow the money from relatives, so he will be here for a while.’’
Judge Jim Large said the i-site should not be out of pocket due to Tobin’s frustrations.
The judge fined Tobin $200, warning him that he had to pay it in a month or risk seven days in jail.
Tobin was also ordered to pay the reparation in a month, with the judge banning him from leaving the country until it is paid.