Burglar’s victim felt compelled to sell his house

A recidivist thief whose victims included his mother-in-law, retailers, and an acquaintance he knew was away from home over Christmas has been jailed.

An ‘‘entrenched’’ drug addiction led Andrew John Marr to steal close to $4500 worth of items over four months, Judge Dominic Dravitzki said in the Timaru District Court yesterday.

Judge Dravitzki sentenced the 44-year-old defendant to two years, three months’ imprisonment and ordered him to pay $4402.98 reparation to his victims.

He had pleaded guilty to burglary, obtaining by deception, breaching bail by failing to appear, trespassing, and multiple counts of shoplifting. He was also re-sentenced on driving at a dangerous speed, failing to stop for red and blue flashing lights, and a further charge of burglary after community work fell through.

Judge Dravitzki said the ‘‘most serious’’ of the new charges was burgling a Douglas

St, Timaru, house while the owner was on holiday, between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

Police prosecutor Toaiva Hitila said Marr swiped a large tramping backpack from the house and crammed it with highquality clothing, food, alcohol, and personal hygiene items.

Police found property belonging to the victim in Marr’s home while speaking to him on an unrelated matter on January 30, 2020.

‘‘When defendant interviewed, the initially denied any involvement in the burglary – but later admitted he had entered the property after others had been, and stole enough equipment to fill a large tramping pack so he could survive,’’ Hitila said.

Judge Dravitzki said Marr and the victim knew each other, and the defendant was aware the house would be empty at the time of the burglary.

‘‘The victim impact statement he’s given is really sobering,’’ the judge said.

‘‘He talks about the major impact of this burglary, particularly the feeling someone had invaded his home.

‘‘He felt unhappy in his home to the point he had to sell it, and he felt this event changed his outlook of other people.’’

Defence lawyer Kelly Beazley said Marr was initially charged with stealing $30,000 worth of items from the house, but had maintained since his arrest he found the doors open and investigated – stealing only the backpack and whatever he could fit inside it.

‘‘He was unable to give information to the police about who burgled the house first.’’