Home detention for teen who drove friends to arson

Photo / Andrew Warner

A Tauranga teen who drove his friends to and from the scene of an arson attack has been sentenced to home detention.

Brad David O'Keefe, 18, of Greerton, earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of being an accessory after the fact to arson and an unrelated burglary charge.

He was sentenced in Tauranga District Court today to five months' home detention and 150 hours' community work.

The arson charge related to O'Keefe having driven his co-offenders to and from the scene of the arson at an empty farmhouse at The Lakes subdivision.

The August 18 fire resulted in $60,000 worth of damage.

The burglary charge related to the theft of alcohol after a break-in at Te Puna Liquor Store on the evening of August 18.

O'Keefe's home detention sentence also includes time for two shoplifting offences which O'Keefe committed in August prior to the arson.

He was ordered to pay $323.50 reparation for the burglary and thefts, but no reparation was ordered for the arson-related charge.

O'Keefe's co-offender Benjamin David Harris, 18, from Welcome Bay was sentenced to nine months home detention and 200 hours community work on October 5.

Harris was also ordered to pay $10,000 in reparation at $25 a week.