Elaborate break-in for scrap metal
A subcontractor who caused ‘‘considerable havoc’’ with a Mission Impossible-style break-in at a Rotorua building has failed to get his jail sentence reduced.
Robert Walker was jailed for 18 months for breaking into the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre the weekend of December 4-5, 2020, but took an appeal to the High Court in Rotorua.
Walker scaled scaffolding and scrambled through a ducting unit during the break-in. At the time, he was working for a subcontractor on the centre, which has been undergoing earthquake strengthening work.
After a judge-alone trial on July 7, he was convicted of burglary and intentional damage.
Walker used inside knowledge and caused considerable havoc ‘‘for the sake of, as I say, not a lot of money for scrap metal’’, Justice Graham Lang said in the appeal ruling.
Justice Lang did not reduce Walker’s sentence, and the ruling shows Walker went to great lengths to get into the performing arts centre.
‘‘At some stage during the weekend Mr Walker climbed through a fence that had been erected around the construction site. He then gained entry to the building by climbing a scaffold at the front of the building. This took him to a window that he entered,’’ Justice Lang’s ruling said.
‘‘Once inside the building, Mr Walker cut various cables and then used a ladder to climb into a large ducting unit. He used this to gain access to a room containing the air conditioning equipment for the building. Once inside that room Mr Walker caused a considerable amount of damage by cutting cables and taking doors off switchboards.
Walker was caught after police found his fingerprint in the inside of an electrical box in the air conditioning room.
‘‘[Sentencing] Judge considered there was no credible explanation for Mr Walker’s fingerprint in that particular location other than that it had been left there during the burglary.’’
The ruling said the burglary caused ‘‘substantial financial outlay’’ to repair the damage, created considerable delay to the work on the site and required an increased security presence.
‘‘Considerable havoc in damaging the equipment and operation of the centre for the sake of, as I say, not a lot of money for scrap metal,’’ Lang said.