Burglar praised for escaping crime ring
A judge has praised the last of the Operation Wigram burglars to be sentenced, for getting out of the organised crime ring before the police swooped.
The huge crime ring caused losses of more than $800,000 but Russell Matamua Lush, 31, had pulled out of the group after being involved for less than a month.
Judge Stephen O’Driscoll told Lush at the Christchurch District Court sentencing that many people in his position might have found it difficult to extract themselves from the organisation, so it was a credit to him that he did so.
Lush was sentenced for seven burglaries, one attempted burglary with a disguise, two charges of receiving stolen property, and one charge of participating in an organised criminal group.
He was the last to be sentenced for the burglaries, but some people who received the goods are still awaiting sentencing.
Lush was in the group from January 16 to February 10, 2012, but defence counsel Norman Farquhar said he found a way out of the group when he realised the nature and extent of the offending.
He said Lush now had a job, and his employer was aware of the offending. Lush was remorseful and had offered to pay reparation.
Judge Stephen O’Driscoll said Lush was caught as part of the Operation Wigram group which was involved in burglaries and methamphetamine dealing.
The group was a significant commercial burglary ring, which did 40 burglaries over four months, with losses of more than $800,000, he said. The crime ring was broken with police raids in July 2012.
The head of the burglary group, Harold William McDonald, 45, had been sentenced to 10 years jail, but he also had also faced methamphetamine charges.
His son, Riki William Wellington, 23,received a four-and-a-half year sentence for 27 commercial burglaries.
Lush did not have a major involvement, was not involved in the methamphetamine dealing, but did go along with some of the burglaries, he said.
It was proper to distinguish between him and his co-offenders, as the others were more heavily involved in the burglary ring, and some had more serious charges including involvement in methamphetamine, and had extensive previous convictions, said the judge.
There were prospects of Lush not getting into further trouble, and losing his employment might put him on the wrong path, he said.
He sentenced Lush to five months’ community detention, with a curfew from 9pm to 6am, 300 hours community work, and ordered reparation payments of $13,000 to the victims.
Category: Focus
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