Lengthy jail sentence for breaching protection order 3 times

A CENTRAL Otago man has received a lengthy prison sentence for breaching a protection order three times.

In the third breach, which occurred last Monday, Jake James White asked his father to contact the complainant in the hope of seeing his daughter on the day he expected to be released from prison.

White (24) appeared for his sentencing in the Queenstown District Court on Wednesday by audiovisual link from prison.

His lawyer, Kieran Tohill, said the only explanation for the defendant’s repeated breaches of the protection order was ‘‘stupidity’’ and a ‘‘lack of thought’’.

White admitted the breaches, which occurred in Alexandra on October 16 and December 8 last year and on April 6.

He also admitted charges of receiving a caravan from persons unknown, in Alexandra, and unlawfully getting into a vehicle, in Roxburgh, both on October 3.

Judge Michael Turner said White sent a text message to the complainant on October 16 last year, in which he said he was going to kill himself and she would be blamed.

He also made a video call to the complainant in which he staged a mock suicide with a shotgun.

Both calls had caused significant psychological harm to the victim.

On October 3, White and an associate met two others at a layby between Cromwell and Alexandra and took possession of a stolen caravan.

They then drove south, but were forced to stop in Roxburgh because of a flat tyre.

Because the vehicle did not have the right tools to change it, he broke into a vehicle and removed a toolbox, but returned it after finding it did not have what he needed.

After somehow changing the tyre, he drove on to Raes Junction, where he met two other associates and handed over the caravan.

Judge Turner said White had nine previous convictions for family harm, violence and breaching court orders, and appeared to have no remorse for his latest offending.

He blamed the victim for ‘‘driving him’’ to it, and had refused to help police locate the caravan.

The offending was the result of his ‘‘behavioural makeup’’, drug use and poor choice of associates.

Judge Turner convicted White on all charges and sentenced him to two years’ and six months’ prison.