Pair lied about theft of household items

Two people owe hundreds of dollars in reparation after lying about items they said were stolen from their house.

Christine Ivy O'Connor and Aaron Lawrence Thomas Watson stood together in the dock at the Whanganui District Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to obtaining by deception.

Watson is O'Connor's caregiver, the court heard.

The pair lied about a 42-inch TV and Xbox being stolen from their house during a burglary, police prosecutor Sergeant Drew Morrison said.

They were renting the items from Mr Rental, and the company stopped charging them after they said they'd been stolen.

Previously, Mr Rental was charging them $34 a week to use the TV and Xbox.

When police discovered the lie, O'Connor said: "I just wanted to keep the items and not have to pay for them," Mr Morrison said.

O'Connor's defence lawyer Richard Leith said his client had one previous conviction for an unrelated matter in 2000.

"In her words, sir, it's stupid offending, clearly motivated by a lack of funds to be able to pay things off.

"She's currently got health issues which prevent her from working."

There was discussion over whether O'Connor could do community work due to her health, but probation officers determined she could be placed into agency work.

Judge David Cameron sentenced her to 75 hours of community work and ordered she pay reparation of $457 to Mr Rental.

He sentenced Watson to 175 hours of community work and ordered he also pay reparation of $457.