Headline making assailant earns curfew and $3k fine

A Rotorua woman who made headlines after she was caught on camera assaulting another woman has now been sentenced to community detention and ordered to pay reparation of $3014 for various offences including breaking into a home and stealing electronic equipment.

Alexandria Gemini Ngarimu, 19, who is heavily pregnant, appeared in the Rotorua District Court yesterday for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to a charge each of burglary, intentional damage, possession of cannabis, disorderly behaviour and breaching supervision.

Judge Chris McGuire sentenced Ngarimu to six months' community detention and ordered her to pay $3014 reparation.

Judge McGuire said Ngarimu broke into a house by forcing open a bathroom window and stole a laptop containing study notes, three cameras and two iPods. Ngarimu left fingerprints on the window.

In relation to the disorderly behaviour charge, Ngarimu made a "jackass" of herself in the central city by swearing at and hitting her associate, Judge McGuire said.

After being refused entry into the Colonial Tavern at Te Ngae as she had been trespassed, Ngarimu smashed a hole in a window of the bar.

Judge McGuire said Ngarimu had been receiving counselling for drug and alcohol issues but after being too disruptive in a group setting she had had to change to one-on-one counselling.

Judge McGuire said the burglary had caused a great deal of grief for the residents of the property as the laptop had a year's worth of study notes on it.

When Ngarimu was asked how she felt towards the victim of the burglary, she said "I don't even know the guy, how can I feel anything for him?", the court was told.

Judge McGuire cancelled Ngarimu's previous sentences of supervision and community work which were imposed earlier this year after she assaulted a woman at the Pukuatua St bus stop in January.

The assault was caught on camera and attracted national media attention.