An Invercargill man has received a home detention sentence for a three-month crime spree that culminated in a brazen daytime theft from a Queenstown sports store.
Reece Mark Pottinger Gibson (33) was sentenced in the Queenstown District Court yesterday on 21 charges arising from offending in Invercargill and the resort town from March to June.
Otago Daily Times reporters witnessed the aftermath of the last theft, when a worker from the Small Planet sports store chased Gibson down Athol St after he ran out of the store with nearly $4000 worth of clothing. He got into a vehicle driven by his associate and escaped, despite the efforts of an unidentified woman who twice attempted to block its exit.
In all, Gibson was sentenced on 18 charges of theft, committed from March 23 to June 30, as well as single charges of possessing drug utensils, failing to stop, and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.
His victims included several small independent stores, Invercargill’s Elles Rd New World supermarket, and retail chains Kmart, Briscoes, Noel Leeming, Macpac and Mitre 10.
Five of the charges related to petrol driveaways at BP, Z Energy, Mobil and Challenge stations in Invercargill.
Judge John Brandts-Giesen said the offending was a continuation of Gibson’s "appalling record of dishonesty", which included 99 convictions since 2006.
He owed $13,000 in reparation from the latest batch of offences.
"You need to decide whether you want to become a good father to your son, or just be an embarrassment."
He took account of the defendant’s expression of remorse, drug addiction and mental health issues, noting he had been in paid employment since last month, to reach a sentence of 18 months’ prison.
That was converted to nine months’ home detention, at a Winton address, with post-detention conditions for a further six months.
Judge Brandts-Giesen made an order for Gibson to pay a total of $4863 reparation to the three smallest businesses affected, as expecting him to repay all the businesses he had stolen from would "set him up to fail".
GUY WILLIAMS PIJF court reporter
