Building industry figure falls from grace over meth addiction
A Christchurch building industry figure has begun a 21-month jail term after methamphetamine sent his life spiralling.
Dax Lowen, 39, may be allowed to attend a residential drug rehabilitation programme as he serves his time.
He admitted 20 charges including burglaries – mainly of commercial premises including demolition yards – causing loss by deception, receiving stolen property, theft, unlawfully taking a car, and breaching the terms of an alcohol interlock licence.
Defence counsel Kirsten Gray said Lowen realised he had sunk to a low level after he had spiralled into methamphetamine addiction.
He had lost a great deal of his money spent on the addiction, lost his business, his business contacts, and his reputation, and had lost his relationship with the mother of his child. It had been “a fairly large fall from grace”, she said.
Judge Neave noted that Lowen had no previous burglary convictions, and none of the raids had involved houses. However, he had sometimes “victimised” the same businesses with repeated burglaries.
The addiction had caused a terrible personal cost. Lowen had paid for it from his own resources before his crimes meant he was supporting it at other people’s expense.
He had a significant drug problem involving methamphetamine – a pernicious drug which people struggled to escape from.
Judge Neave imposed the 21-month jail term, with leave to apply for release on home detention if a place in a suitable drug rehabilitation centre becomes available, and disqualified Lowen from driving for six months.
He also ordered reparation payments totalling about $8800.
Category: News
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