Robber caught out by clothes
A 17-year-old was identified as a wanted dairy robber after he wore the same clothes to commit the crime as he’d worn to a Santa Parade attended by police.
Caleb Fleming was sentenced in the Nelson District Court on Monday after pleading guilty to the aggravated robbery of the dairy on Nelson’s Waimea Rd last year.
According to a police summary of facts, Fleming showed up at the Hales Corner Dairy on November 26 just after 4pm, wielding what appeared to be a gun.
Judge Richard Russell said Fleming pointed the imitation gun at the 59-yearold owner of the dairy, and told the man to ‘‘give me the cash otherwise I will hurt you’’. The victim opened the till and gave Fleming about $200.
The offending was caught on CCTV, and a police youth aid officer who had seen Fleming at the Richmond Santa Parade earlier that afternoon recognised the blue hoodie and blue and white bandanna seen in the footage.
A search warrant at Fleming’s address led police to discover some of the items of clothing in his washing machine.
Fleming told police he had destroyed the fake gun, as well as other items of clothing he had been wearing.
A pre-sentencing report indicated Fleming had been drinking that day and had been under pressure from ‘‘older associates’’ who had threatened him.
Judge Russell said that despite Fleming’s young age and unfortunate circumstances, imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence, given the seriousness of the offending.
Fleming was also sentenced for stealing his caregiver’s Suzuki Swift in February this year while he was on electronically monitored bail.
He was also sentenced on a burglary charge, after he smashed through the door of the Nayland College canteen on October 18 last year and took soft drinks from the fridge.
Judge Russell sentenced Fleming to 30 months’ imprisonment on the lead charge of aggravated robbery, and nine months on the burglary and theft of motor vehicle charges, to be served concurrently.
Fleming will also be ordered to pay half the reparation sought, given he has no income – $125 to the dairy owner, $42 to Nayland College, and $750 to the vehicle owner.