A young woman who burgled a house threw all her ill-gotten gains in the river as an act of revenge against the victim.
Shania Jakicevich pleaded guilty to burglary in Whanganui District Court last week.
The victim was willing to participate in a restorative justice process but Jakicevich failed to turn up for the meeting.
"You told police you did this because you wanted to get back at her," Judge Gregory Ellis said. "Do you feel better?"
Judge Ellis said he didn't know where Jakicevich got the idea that that was an appropriate way to behave.
"There are consequences for the choices that you are making," he told her.
He told the first offender she would now have to carry the conviction on her record.
"That will be a problem for you in the future when you try to convince anyone that you are able to be trusted."
The judge sentenced Jakicevich to 80 hours of community work and ordered her to pay $1000 reparation to cover costs and emotional harm to the victim of a "petty" and "spiteful" crime.
"Because you have chosen to inflict a loss, it's only appropriate that you should have to make good that loss."
Jakicevich protested, saying the stolen items weren't worth anything.
"I don't care," Judge Ellis replied, ordering her to pay the reparation at $10 a week.