December 12, 2008

Judge regrets 'inflexible' approach on drug request

Teaahu Reti has got a reduction in his sentence because he sought help for his drug habit before it spiralled out of control with what a judge termed ?an absolutely appalling crime spree?.

The 35-year-old was today jailed for five years six months at the end of 20 years of using drugs to escape the realities of life.

Offending has recently financed his addiction. He has 19 previous convictions for dishonesty, two for escaping, eight for driving while disqualified, and one for dangerous driving.

He went to jail for a lot more today: two pharmacy burglaries seeking drugs, thefts of laptops from shops, the theft of a wallet from a car with a four-year-old inside the vehicle, two more disqualified drivings, another dangerous driving, document fraud at the casino, and a much publicised ? and completely unsuccessful ? escape from the Court House.

The most serious charge was the knifepoint robbery of five staff at a pharmacy in which drugs were taken. During a chase, Reti broke into two homes and assaulted one householder as he tried to get away. The householder held him till police arrived.

Christchurch District Court Judge Raoul Neave said it was a pity that when Reti and his family approached the Community Alcohol and Drug Service, they had not adopted a flexible approach.

The service has a rule not to help people facing charges, and had declined to help when Reti asked for methadone because his cravings were out of control.

?It is a pity that perhaps some flexibility wasn?t able to be found which might just have avoided a large number of problems for everybody,? said the judge.

Defence counsel Rupert Glover had asked for the original sentencing session in September to be delayed so that details could be verified about Reti asking for help before the crime spree. ?He is sorry for what he has done. He could not help himself because of the problems he was facing.?

Crown prosecutor Anna MacGougan said Reti had approached CADS for help in April, but was facing a driving charge at court. Once he had dealt with the driving matter, he was supposed to contact CADS again but had not done so before he began his June crime spree.

Judge Neave noted that most of the latest offences had been committed while Reti was on bail, and subject to a community work sentence.

He imposed a series of concurrent and cumulative sentences totalling five years six months, and disqualified him from driving for two years.