Woman ‘forced’ into crime by gang

A woman says she was forced into crime by her ex-partner’s involvement with the Nomads gang.

Amanda Cherie Cook went on a 10-month crime spree that she says was the price she had to pay to leave the gang ‘‘family’’.

The 44-year-old had admitted 13 charges in the Christchurch District Court, including burglary, receiving stolen property from a burglary, being unlawfully in an enclosed yard, petrol drive-off thefts and driving while suspended.

She was caught on a householder’s security camera ‘‘scoping’’ a property ahead of two burglaries.

Cook was assessed by probation as having a low risk of reoffending. The report said her offending spree ‘‘could be indicative of manipulation by others or could be a way of getting back at the system’’.

Defence counsel Glenda Murphy said Cook’s violent relationship with a partner associated with the Nomads gang had broken down.

‘‘It has been particularly difficult for her to extricate herself from that relationship.’’

There had been a ‘‘period of instability associated with her housing’’, which had reached critical mass and led to her suffering from anxiety and being completely disorganised and tearful.

She was extremely remorseful for the losses the burglary victims had suffered.

There had been significant involvement with the police’s family violence team at the time the relationship was breaking down.

‘‘Pressure has been brought to bear on her by other people and she has not been able to withstand that pressure,’’ Murphy said.

This happened when she tried to take herself away from the gang scene.

Judge Alistair Garland asked: ‘‘Are you telling me that members of the gang have been putting pressure on her to commit crime as sort of price to pay for breaking away from the gang ‘family’?’’

‘‘In essence, that is what she has indicated to me,’’ Murphy told him.

The lawyer said Cook had now made the break and was taking positive steps to engage with her supports in the community.

She urged that a supervision sentence be imposed, which would provide even more support.

Judge Garland sentenced her to six months’ home detention with a nightly curfew and ordered her to do 150 hours of community work.

He put her on intensive supervision for 18 months with special conditions that she undertake assessment by a departmental psychologist and treatment and counselling as required.

The judge also ordered her to pay reparations totaling about $8600 to the victims of her crimes, by regular payments from the benefit she now receives.