Thief wanted to reassure his victims
A man has expressed his disappointment at not getting the chance to meet his victims to tell them face to face that they have nothing to fear from him.
One of Daniel Michael Moynihan’s victims was a motel owner who had the inconvenience and stress of a burglary, and the other was a woman whose food stall takings he snatched.
After his guilty pleas, it was hoped that a restorative justice meeting could be held with the victims, but they were not keen.
Defence counsel Claire Hislop said that the pre-sentence report writer had interpreted 32-year-old Moynihan’s reaction when he learned the meeting had been declined, as showing little empathy for the victims.
But she said it was really disappointment that the meeting could not take place, because he wanted to convince them that they had nothing to fear from him.
Moynihan was appearing for sentencing in the Christchurch District Court after pleading guilty to driving with excess breath-alcohol, shoplifting, burglary, theft from a car, and aggravated assault involving a knife.
Miss Hislop said Moynihan had suffered from a very significant alcohol dependence for a long time but he had made use of his time in custody on remand to complete a drug and alcohol programme.
Judge Jane Farish noted that it was Moynihan’s fifth conviction for drink-driving and this time it had involved a minor accident.
He had burgled a motel in Riccarton Road and taken a lot of items that had huge sentimental value. It had caused a lot of inconvenience and stress for the owner of the motel.
He had shoplifted alcohol and food worth $60 from a supermarket, and when he was walking on Riccarton Road he had grabbed a woman’s bag which contained the takings of a food stall.
That theft was witnessed by a passing motorist who chased him into Hagley Park where Moynihan was tackled to the ground. He told his captor he had a knife but did not take it out.
The motorist took the knife off him and the bag of takings was recovered. Moynihan ran off but was found nearby by the police, hiding under a bridge.
The judge said that since 2009, Moynihan’s alcohol use had spiralled out of control. He had lost his family, friends, job, and sometimes his health, and now realised that he needed rehabilitation. He had asked for a transfer to the prison at Milton, near Dunedin, to undergo the treatment programme there.
She jailed Moynihan for two years nine months, disqualified him from driving indefinitely, and ordered that he have a zero-alcohol licence for three years when he eventually gets his licence back. She also ordered him to pay reparations of $950.
Category: Focus
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