May 15, 2013

Rehabilitation sentence for red zone burglaries

By Anne Clarkson. A 43-year-old man who burgled 10 vacant homes in the red zone area of Avondale last January was sentenced to eight months? home detention to be served in a rehabilitation programme.

Public defender Bridget Ayrey said Grant Michael Mills, 43, had been accepted to do the Salvation Army Bridge Programme for drug and alcohol addiction as soon as a bed became available.

She said Mills was making arrangements to sell his car to pay the $1440 reparation.

In the Christchurch District Court, Judge Jane Farish said between January 7 and 14 Mills took taps and water tanks from 10 houses owned by CERA.

He was caught by police after one burglary and admitted to them that he was responsible for nine others.

Judge Farish said Mills had no prior convictions, and was a very intelligent and articulate man who had held responsible positions.

But he had turned to using drugs, and was made redundant from his job as a project manager for an earthquake repair company.

He did the burglaries to provide for his family and his out of control drug habit, she said.

Mills? pre-sentence report recommended something less than a prison sentence, and said he was willing and able to accept a rehabilitation programme.

Judge Farish sentenced Mills to eight months? home detention so that he would be monitored while he was in the Bridge programme, with a further six months supervision after the home detention finished.

She also ordered the reparation payment.