Addiction blamed for offending

Drug addiction has been blamed for three Timaru men amassing 61 criminal charges between them.

In separate appearances, Kronn Marjell Church-Davis, 28, Karl David Hartnett, 30, and Benjamin Cooper Geels, 23, were sentenced by Judge Joanna Maze in the Timaru District Court yesterday.

Church-Davis was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment on six charges – possession of methamphetamine, unlawfully taking a vehicle, driving in a dangerous manner, aggravated assault, assault on a person in a family relationship, and unlawfully being in an enclosed yard.

Defence lawyer John Black said Church-Davis’ addiction to methamphetamine was ‘‘at the heart’’ of his offending.

Judge Maze said it took the defendant only eight days from when he was last sentenced, on December 8, to break the law again.

‘‘You did not depart here with any sense of commitment to changing your ways,’’ Judge Maze said.

Church-Davis’ most serious offence was fighting off a man trying to stop him from stealing a car by driving at him, before inciting a police chase.

‘‘Other drivers were having to take evasive action,’’ Judge Maze said.

Hartnett, meanwhile, was sentenced to two years, three months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay nearly $15,000 reparation for 33 charges – 15 of using a document or credit card for pecuniary use, 10 of burglary, four of theft, three of receiving property, and one of unlawfully interfering with a motor vehicle.

‘‘All of this was to fuel a drug addiction that had taken over your life,’’ Judge Maze said.

Geels was sentenced to 18 months’ disqualification from driving, six months’ home detention – taking into account the fact he was in custody from December 27, 2018 to February 26 – and ordered to pay $634.35 reparation for 22 charges