Burglar foiled by community sentenced

A burglar on a spree in western Southland who was stopped by members of the community has been sentenced to home detention.

Haven Pearce, 20, appeared before Judge Mark Callaghan in the Invercargill District Court yesterday. She had admitted seven charges of burglary and one each of attempted burglary, stealing from a vehicle, and unlawfully taking a vehicle.

Pearce was sentenced to five months’ home detention, 150 hours’ community work, disqualified from driving for three months, and ordered to pay $511.02 reparation.

Soon after Pearce and her two co-offenders were arrested in December, police issued a statement thanking the Colac Bay community for their help in catching the trio.

At the time, police said a Colac Bay resident called police and then the local tavern when they spotted the trio breaking into a property. Residents then parked vehicles, including a tractor, across the driveway and blocking the offenders’ getaway.

In court yesterday, Judge Callaghan said Pearce and two associates had broken into properties in the area in December, stealing items as they went.

Judge Callaghan said the ‘‘spree offending’’ was ended because of local residents.

‘‘The local community woke up to what was happening, surrounded the vehicle and prevented you from leaving.’’

Drugs

An Invercargill drug dealer who threatened people with a weapon while they slept has been jailed.

Holly Louella Grainger, 36, previously admitted possessing cannabis for supply, offering to supply cannabis, burglary, and intentional damage.

Her co-offenders in relation to the burglary, Reece Jaden Kelly, 23, and Kaely Laureen Williams, 22, were also sentenced on the charge yesterday.

Judge Callaghan sentenced Grainger to three years and six months’ jail on all charges.

Kelly was sentenced to 180 hours’ community work and ordered to pay each of the three victims $1000 emotional harm reparation.

Williams was sentenced to 12 months’ supervision.

In relation to the burglary, Grainger, Williams, and Kelly, along with two other people, went to an Invercargill address while the three residents were in bed, the judge said.

Grainger went into the bedroom, where she yelled at one of the victims, and approached them with a weapon, waving it in their face. She then went to another victim, and waved the weapon at them.

Next, Grainger used the weapon to smash a television, broke a window, and damaged a door before taking $80 from a wallet and taking a phone.

Kelly took an amplifier from a car.

Robbery

I’Roy Ted Ruke, 21, who ‘king hit’ a man and then punched a woman because he wanted their alcohol has been sentenced to seven months and two weeks’ home detention and 150 hours’ community work.

He had earlier admitted a charge of robbery, relating to an incident on August 21.

Judge Callaghan said an 18-year-old woman and 24-year-old man were walking home from a birthday party about 3.40am on Pomona St when Ruke and two associates started following them.

The pair were carrying their alcohol. Ruke asked them what they were drinking, but they ignored him.

He then asked them to give him their alcohol, but they continued to ignore him.

‘‘You then king-hit him [the victim] on the right side of the face, causing him to fall down.’’

Arson

A man who broke into the Pomona St dairy before lighting two fires in the vacant building opposite it has been jailed.

Oliver Joel Fry, 22, previously admitted arson, burglary, and ten charges of offering to supply a class B drug. He was sentenced to two years and five months’ jail.

Judge Callaghan said Fry broke into the Pomona St dairy about 5.40am on November 14.

Fry then went across the road and into a vacant building, where he lit two fires before leaving.

A member of the public saw Fry watching the fire and smiling, Judge Callaghan said.

Fry called the fire brigade, and when he was caught by police he admitted being a drug addict.