Man siphons former colleague’s pay

A Blenheim man has been caught putting his bank account on someone else’s timesheet.

Shane William Pritchard, 45, was visiting his former workplace in August last year when he altered the timesheet.

Pritchard had left the company in July.

Police said he entered the building some time between August 23 and 25, walked into the smoko room and wrote his own bank account number on a former coworker’s timesheet.

The timesheet was for a fortnight’s work, and $994 was paid into his bank account.

The employee noticed his pay did not go into his account, checked his timesheet, and found it had been altered, police said.

When police spoke to Pritchard, he said he did not realise it was someone else’s timesheet and had not intended to defraud anybody.

He initially denied a charge of using a document to obtain a pecuniary advantage, but changed his plea to guilty at the Blenheim District Court on Thursday.

His lawyer John Holdaway said Pritchard was completing a previous sentence of supervision and community work, and paying off outstanding fines at $25 a week.

He was ‘‘doing pretty well’’ and had found permanent accommodation, though he had relapsed into using cannabis again and was facing a new drug-related charge, Holdaway said.

Judge David Ruth said he had met Pritchard on a number of occasions.

‘‘We’ve nursed you through a sentencing process through which it was important for you to get on top of your difficulties.

‘‘It doesn’t really surprise me that there has been some glitches, that is part of the process,’’ the judge said.

‘‘You need to find a way to survive in this community, and find a better path than the one you were on previously.’’

Restorative justice was not necessary in this case, Judge Ruth said.

Pritchard was convicted and ordered to repay $994 at $25 per week, and payments on his fines would be put on hold until reparation was complete.