October 13, 2008

Man ran car 'chop shop' while on home detention

By David Clarkson

A 22-year-old who cannibalised two stolen cars while on home detention at his Strickland Street house has been jailed for a year and ten months.

Michael James Desmond Smith used his skills as a mechanic to dismantle the cars and caused them $19,000 damage in the process.

Insurance will pay for some of the losses but Smith was ordered to pay $7850 reparations once he is released from jail.

He already owes $6000 in unpaid reparations from previous offences, $25,000 in unpaid fines, and costs of $11,000.

Christchurch District Court Judge Philip Moran ordered that as part of the sentence he be referred to a psychologist for assessment, and undertake treatment and counselling as directed.

Crown prosecutor Marcus Zintl said Smith had tried to alter the vehicles to make them unidentifiable. He was assessed by probation as having a high risk of reoffending.

He had committed the two offences of receiving stolen cars while on home detention, and he had previously breached his home detention.

The cars had been stolen from the victims? homes and both owners had been upset. One of them reporting being ?gutted? after spending so many hours and so much money on the car.

Defence counsel Tim Fournier acknowledged Smith had previous convictions for dishonesty. He had been jailed for four months in May for breaches of home detention and driving while disqualified.

The receiving occurred before that. There had also been a month?s imprisonment for cultivating cannabis, which had been discovered when police executed the search warrant for the stolen cars.

Judge Moran said it had not been opportunist offending. Smith had been ?close to the action?, and had committed the offences while on home detention.
?That sentence is going to have no credibility whatsoever if people get away with committing crimes while they are serving it,? he said.

Smith had no prospect of repaying the owners for all the damage done.

He had served a term of imprisonment in 2006 for arson, receiving stolen property, and driving offences. He had two breaches of home detention.

He noted that Smith had good family support but had difficulties in his past which he had not yet come to grips with.

Jailing Smith, he ordered that as part of his release conditions he have no direct or indirect contact with his associates from past offending ? a list that will be given to him by his probation officer.