Erica Olliver (31) appeared in the Dunedin District Court this week on charges of wilful damage, trespass, shoplifting and aggravated driving under the influence
At 1.10am on August 13 last year, the defendant entered the property of an ex-partner using a key the victim believed he had lost.
The defendant grabbed a pair of shoes belonging to her ex-partner and placed them in an outside toilet before driving the victim’s car to a nearby scrap yard.
Two months’ later, while disqualified from driving, Olliver was the driver of an Audi that mounted a centre island on Kaikorai Valley Rd, hitting three palm trees before coming to a stop on top of a hedge.
Olliver was found to be under the influence of drugs.
Police were aware of her "established drug habit" due to her two previous convictions for driving while impaired.
She claimed to have been on her way to an appointment with her family court lawyer and to have only taken three gabapentin tablets (anticonvulsant medication).
After steadily racking up convictions, on February 3 Olliver was serving an electronically monitored sentence under a 24-hour curfew.
On being granted approval to leave her address for two hours, the defendant decided to take a trip to The Warehouse — where she had been trespassed.
Ignoring a staff member who attempted to stop her, Olliver walked out of the store with $368 worth of items.
Olliver later stated she had no memory of the day in question.
"She is frustrated with herself. She doesn’t quite know how to get out of this cycle or how to get off this treadmill of offending", counsel Sophia Thorburn said.
The court heard Olliver’s sense of hopelessness came from having restricted access to her children and her "clearly engrained" drug and alcohol difficulties.
Judge Emma Smith was saddened by Olliver’s state of mind and believed she needed greater assistance to turn her life around.
"You have so much work to do in what is quite a chaotic lifestyle," Judge Smith said.
Olliver was sentenced to 18months’ intensive supervision, 80 hours’ community work and was ordered to pay reparation.
She was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.
"You need to know there are no more chances ... no more lying to us" Judge Smith said.
