A man who threw his motorcycle into the sea and then claimed insurance had announced his intentions the day before on Facebook, a court heard yesterday.
Hayden William Wilson, 21, of Macandrew Bay admitted in Dunedin District Court of making a false statement to police, and obtaining $4500 by deception.
Judge Stephen Coyle said: "On Facebook the day before, you said that was exactly what you were going to do."
He was convicted, given concurrent 150-hour sentences of community work on each charge, and ordered to pay $4000 reparation.
Prosecutor Sergeant Ross Hutton said Wilson told an associate on Facebook on September 3 last year he was going to throw his motorcycle into the harbour.
Overnight, he took his motorcycle to Portobello Rd and threw it into the harbour. Just after 6am on September 4, he phoned police and reported it stolen. He was paid $4500 for a replacement motorcycle.