Criminal roll of dice leads to 15 months’ jail

A man who sold ecstasy and cannabis to fund his gambling addiction is back behind bars.

Sheridan Peter Le Varrewaters also lied to police about why he cut his electronic bracelet off, the Palmerston North District Court heard last week.

Three months into a sevenmonth stint of home detention, Le Varre-waters told police he slashed his bracelet and left home to seek hospital treatment for an ankle injury.

There was no record of him going to the hospital or the injury ever existing, Judge Lance Rowe said at sentencing.

The Palmerston North man was handed 15 months behind bars for the two offences, and Rowe urged him to use the time to determine his future.

‘‘It’s never too late, Mr Le Varre-waters, to be honest with yourself and seek help for your problem and then count the days that you have been drug-free and gambling-free. These are the things that have brought you down and put you in prison.

‘‘You have to find the tools, you have to find the help and you have to turn it around.

‘‘You need to find a place in your heart and your head that every day is a win in that battle.’’

Defence lawyer Phillip Drummond said Le Varre-waters wasn’t properly medicated for mental health problems at the time of his offending. He showed insight and acknowledged he needed help, but didn’t want to be tied up in the justice system, Drummond said.

Le Varre-waters has been in custody for two months.