July 19, 2011

Jail terms for burgling to fund addictions

By Anne Clarkson at the Rangiora Court House

Two men in their early twenties paid the price with prison sentences for separately burgling homes to fund their drug habits.

Isaac Duckmanton, 23, committed six burglaries, conspired with a friend to commit one more, but was found in the yard, and received a stolen laptop computer.

His defence counsel Gerald Lascelles said Duckmanton was a good worker when employed, but was made redundant after the earthquake, and got into drugs.

Judge Phillip Moran said Duckmanton burgled about $25,000 worth of property, but some of it had been recovered.

He said the victims of burglaries felt violated, and unsafe in their homes.

Duckmanton was addicted to opiates and needed lots of money a day to feed his habit, he said.

He sentenced him to two years? prison.

Eugene Ringdahl, 24, ?got lost?, took serious drugs, and got addicted, said his defence counsel Paul Johnson.

He said he had genuine remorse, and wanted to face his victims and apologise.

He was sentenced for receiving a rifle, tennis rackets, and builder?s tools which were stolen from cars.

In May 2010 he was caught in possession of a cut down shotgun, ammunition, and cannabis.

In December he unlawfully took a motor vehicle, and in January he burgled five houses.

He breached bail later in January and also had outstanding fines of more than $2000.

Judge Moran said Ringdahl knew the houses were vacant and in most cases he took hot water cylinders.

He was sentenced to two years two months in?prison, and Judge Moran wrote off his fines.