‘Steal-to-order’ burglar jailed

A hi-viz burglar who had a virtual Aladdin’s cave of stolen property – some of it shrink-wrapped onto pallets ready for sale – has been jailed for five-and-a-half years.

Twenty-eight-year-old Michael Kieran Sullivan, a father of two, took advantage of commercial premises that were less than fully secure during the Christchurch rebuild, targeting goods worth $240,000 and stealing to order.

He was eventually caught drunk and slumped over asleep on the steering wheel of a truck, still wearing some of the hi-visibility gear he had used for his offending.

Sullivan was allowed to keep his face shielded from view throughout his Crown sentencing in the Christchurch District Court.

Judge Jane Farish told him she would not sentence him until he removed the sheet of paper he was using to shield his face from the photographer who had permission to photograph him in court.

Sullivan then asked the judge if there was any way he could keep his face out of view “because of my safety in prison”.

The judge refused, saying that the photography application had been approved and it was entirely proper.

Sullivan then had to put down the paper but kept his hand over his face through the sentencing.

He had been found guilty by a jury on seven charges of burglary, three of unlawful use of vehicles, driving while disqualified, and theft.

A month before his trial he had pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a knife, two firearms, ammunition, and possession of drug pipes.

Defence counsel Jay Lovely said Sullivan claimed to have had a drugs problem “pretty much my entire life” and had done everything he could while in prison to overcome it. He urged that no minimum non-parole term – as requested by the Crown – should be imposed. Sullivan’s release arrangements should be left for the Parole Board to decide.

Crown prosecutor Karyn South said it was premeditated offending at a commercial level. There was clear evidence of stealing to order and the use of disguises. High-visibility clothing had been found at all of the sites where Sullivan had stored goods.

That had included a lock-up where stolen good had been found shrink-wrapped onto pallets ready for sale.

She said all the offending took place while Sullivan was on bail, and a sentence of five-and-a half to six years’ imprisonment was “squarely within the range”.

Judge Farish said Sullivan had carried out a series of commercial burglaries in the Wigram area and near Christchurch Airport about August 2013. Stolen trucks were used to ram through gates into premises that were then burgled.

“A jury convicted you and quite frankly the evidence against you was overwhelming. It was a clear and very strong circumstantial case linking you directly to the burglaries. You had possession of a large amount of stolen property in a lock-up that was almost an Aladdin’s cave.”

Sullivan targeted commercial and industrial premises, with the Crown alleging he stole equipment including a pump, fuel nozzle, trailer, tools, containers of oil and chemicals, Forklift, metal brackets, snow chains, and a battery. Photographs on his cellphone indicate he took pictures of stolen goods in order to sell them.

Closed-circuit video was shown at the trial showing Sullivan and another offender carrying out a burglary.

“All of the offending was done for the purpose of you trying to provide for your ever-growing drug addiction issue,” said the judge. Methamphetamine was his drug of choice at the time.

“Some of the business premises were quite vulnerable because of the rebuild in Christchurch. You took advantage of that.”

She ruled out any reparation order for the final losses which were $50,000. Sullivan had no money and he had been arrested for breaching his home detention sentence and had now been held in custody for a year.

She jailed Sullivan for five-and-a-half years, disqualified him from driving for a year and a day, and imposed a non-parole term of half of the sentence. He will have to serve half his time before he can apply to the Parole Board.

 

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