A woman involved in a spate of rural burglaries around Southland will now take up residence at a drug rehabilitation centre during her home detention sentence.
She was also charged with obtaining by deception, possession of utensils, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police. The offending took place in Palmerston, Invercargill and Otautau with one burglary at her parents’ house.
Judge Russell Walker appeared via virtual meeting room from Queenstown District Court with Poa appearing via audiovisual link from Christchurch Women’s Prison.
Judge Walker said between July 5-20, 2021, police had noticed an increase in rural burglaries in the Southland area.
The burglaries included property taken from the homes of victims, including fire arms, sentimental items, and vehicles.
Judge Walker said they were premeditated burglaries with one home being her own parents.
"After the burglaries you and your co-offender offered the stolen items to your associates."
Poa had taken more than $43,000 in property as well as a significant amount in damages, Judge Walker said.
Victim impact statements explained how her offending had left victims emotionally and financially impacted.
At the time of the offending she was living out of a vehicle, he said.
Defence counsel Peter Redpath said Poa was in a violent relationship and had turned to methamphetamine.
While she had managed to get off the drug for a period of time, she had returned to it.
"The trajectory went downwards steadily and the methamphetamine use arose again," Mr Redpath said.
In his submissions Mr Redpath said Poa did not want to be released without being rehabilitated as she said it would set her up to fail.
She had already spent 10 months in jail while on remand and had also spent seven months on electronically monitored bail before that time.
Judge Walker said he agreed Poa needed to undergo treatment before she went back into the community.
Her drug addiction had cost her a lot, including her ability to see her four children and the support of her parents, he said.
He sentenced her to four months’ home detention, deferred until Tuesday when she would enter the He Kete Oranga o te Mana Wahine, a residential alcohol and drug rehabilitation centre in Canterbury, and disqualified her from driving for 12 months.
