Woman used kids for shoplifting ring

A 31-year-old woman who got children involved in her organised shoplifting has been jailed for 41⁄2 years.

Crown prosecutor Mitchell McClenaghan said authorities and agencies were now left to try to ‘‘patch up’’ the damage Melissa Mary Haereroa had done with the young offenders.

Some of the young people were being dealt with by the Youth Court, but two of Haereroa’s adult co-offenders were sentenced with her in the Christchurch District Court.

McClenaghan also described Haereroa’s other offending as despicable – she was part of a group that scammed three victims as old as 84 out of their bank cards and emptied $69,540 from their accounts.

He said it was ‘‘disgraceful and horrid’’ offending, and the pre-sentence report said Haereroa showed no sign of insight or remorse.

Haereroa was appearing for sentencing on a total of 29 charges, including shoplifting, fraud, breaches of supervision and community work sentences, driving while suspended, and assaulting Ballantynes shop staff who confronted her about her stealing.

She had pleaded guilty.

At an earlier appearance, Judge Jane Farish told Haereroa: ‘‘You are your own personal crime wave.’’

Ballantynes staff members, who were Ma¯ori and Pacific Islanders, said they were disappointed that the offender they spotted was Ma¯ ori and had chosen a life of crime at such a young age.

One said: ‘‘You are living up to the stereotype of Ma¯ori youths wearing hoodies. You are the reason why others get looked at twice and their bags get checked in stores.’’

Judge Farish said Haereroa had not been a good role model with her ‘‘staunch and violent behaviour’’ in Ballantynes, which had been captured on video.

Defence counsel Moana Cole said Haereroa now had work for the first time in her life – cooking in the prison kitchen. She was considered a good worker.

Cole noted that the Crown had dropped charges of being part of an organised criminal group, and added: ‘‘This was a group of individuals who were not a good influence on each other. It unfortunately became very persistent.’’

Haereroa’s 12 shoplifting charges mainly involved higher-value items, sometimes worth more than $1000.

Judge Farish said Haereroa had engaged well with programmes in prison and had connected with her heritage.

She jailed the mother of four for four years and six months, disqualified her from driving for a year, and ordered no reparations for the losses. Repayment from Haereroa was considered unrealistic.

Georgia Wednezday Roberts, 28, was released on a year’s intensive supervision after a year in custody on remand. She had admitted 13 charges of dishonestly using a document and shoplifting.

Judge Farish will continue judicially monitoring her with regular reports while she applies for entry into the rugby academy and attends a cultural programme. Reparation totalling $1742 was ordered.

Tayla-Dane Korau, 27, had already served the equivalent of a 21-month sentence in custody on remand, and was released on 12 months of intensive supervision, with judicial monitoring, and ordered to pay reparation of $696. She had admitted eight theft charges, and methamphetamine and firearm charges.