Nelson's Maitai River in flood on 18 August, 2022. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
The "targeted" burglary of a storm-damaged home when Nelson was in a state of emergency has cost a young man his freedom.
Jackson Ormond was jailed today for three separate burglaries of the dress-circle Nelson home last August, in which he took about 280 items.
The owners lodged an insurance claim for more than $40,000, but far more than that was stolen, Judge Tony Zohrab said while sentencing Ormond, who appeared via video link in the Nelson District Court.
The 33-year-old from Motueka was arrested and charged last year with the repeated burglary of the yellow-stickered home, which was one of many badly damaged by heavy rain and landslides that struck the region a year ago.
Ormond entered guilty pleas to the charges after a sentencing indication in May, plus further charges of breaching community work, offering to sell cannabis and possession of methamphetamine and magic mushrooms.
Judge Zohrab said in handing out the prison term on the lead charge of burglary that it was "serious offending", made worse because of the state of emergency in place at the time and the fact no-one was at the address.
The home had been yellow-stickered because it was considered unsafe after landslides in the area.
"There was yellow and black tape across the driveway preventing entry.
"Your lawyer suggests it was opportunistic, but you would have to have been living under a rock at the time to not know what was happening.
"This was targeted offending on three occasions in which a significant amount of property was taken."
The judge said the property owners were re-victimised by having to work out exactly what was taken.
He noted Ormond's previous offending, which included burglary and drug matters, when setting a sentencing starting point.
He gave Ormond some credit for his guilty pleas, even though they had not been entered early, and credit for the factors that had contributed to the position in life in which Ormond found himself.
He accepted Ormond's indication that he was willing to improve his situation by attending recommended addiction and counselling services.
"I'm pleased to see you want to do something about your addiction issues," he said.
Ormond was also jailed for three months on the remaining charges, to be served concurrently, leaving a total sentence of two years and six months. He was ordered to pay $4800 in reparation for the insurance excess from the claim lodged on the stolen items.
"In my view, that's an appropriate contribution, but it's a drop in the bucket of the total amount outstanding," Judge Zohrab said.
He strongly encouraged Ormond to seek help from residential addiction services, if a placement became available.
"If you get there, don't give up when it starts getting tough," he told Ormond.
*This story was first published by the New Zealand Herald.