Denholm Sky Rossiter (37) appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to three burglaries and dishonestly using a document.
The defendant admitted to police when he was arrested that it had been a "crime spree" to fund his methamphetamine habit.
The dishonesty binge reached its pinnacle on November 17 when Rossiter went to Presbyterian Support in Moray Pl.
A staff member directed him downstairs when he asked for a food parcel but instead the defendant ventured into two vacant offices.
In one he found a wallet, in another he swiped a laptop and hard drive.
Rossiter was disturbed by workers and escorted out but did not leave until he had submitted his paperwork for some free food.
Later, the court heard he met an associate and the men went on a spending splurge in George St using the stolen bank cards.
Police at the time said the duo splashed out $8000 on jewellery, a phone, a drone and clothing in just a few hours.
The defendants were captured on camera during the jaunt and even changed clothes as they wandered up the street to avoid detection, police said.
A day earlier, Rossiter had spotted an e-bike locked in a Vogel St basement.
He called his mate who came and removed the bike while Rossiter played lookout.
As a result of his arrest, Rossiter’s fingerprints were added to the police database and later produced a match with those found following a break-in in Picton.
In June last year, the defendant had removed a pane of glass from an office frontage and reached through to unlock the door.
Inside, he took two bottles of water, a muesli bar and a display monitor.
The court heard Rossiter had criminal convictions spanning almost the length of the country.
So Judge Michael Turner expressed surprise that a Probation report assessed him at medium risk of reoffending.
In reality, it would have to be "extremely high", he said.
The judge said it was Rossiter’s three months in prison on remand that saved him from another stint behind bars.
He imposed six months’ community detention, 100 hours’ community work and ordered the defendant to pay $511 reparation.
The large sum incurred by the use of the stolen cards had been "sorted out by the relevant banks", police said.
"If you breach this sentence, the only option, it seems to me, is to send you to prison," Judge Turner said.
"I appreciate it’s my last chance ... I completely understand," Rossiter replied.
