Michael Heading has sentenced to community work, supervision, community detention and to pay $3000 reparations. Photo / Paul Taylor
Michael Heading has sentenced to community work, supervision, community detention and to pay $3000 reparations. Photo / Paul Taylor
A man caused more than $10,000 worth of damage to parking meters in Hastings for the sake of $69 in change.
Between January 15 and 24 Michael Heading jimmied four car parking meters, two on Queen St, one on Russell St and another on Warren St, in an attempt tosteal money.
The 40-year-old Hastings man's damage spree netted him just $69.70, plus three coin vaults valued at $234 each. On one occasion he was disturbed by a witness and fled with nothing.
At the Hastings District Court on Wednesday, the prosecution sought reparations of $10,701.44 for the stolen money and damage caused to the newly installed Hastings District Council-owned machines.
He was ordered to pay $3000 in reparations at a rate of $20 a week for the next three years.
Heading, who appeared on two counts of theft and seven counts of wilful damage, was also sentenced to 80 hours of community work, 12 months' supervision and four months' community detention with a 7pm to 7am curfew.
Defence lawyer Matthew Dixon said Heading, whose income comes from casual firewood work, suffered from anxiety.
"That may explain why he's gone to these extremes to settle what appears to be a debt of some long standing," he said. "But it was an incredibly stupid thing to do."
Michael Heading, of Hastings, damaged four car parking meters between January 15 and 24 in an attempt to steal money. Photo / Paul Taylor
Judge Russell Collins said the explanation for the offending was that Heading was being stood over by a "local organisation" for debts owed.
"You had a choice when you were confronted with that situation and you chose to offend as an answer to what you say were the threats you and your family faced," he said.
"This is serious offending. But it's just not realistic to think that you, in a reasonable period of time, could make reparations of $10,000."
Collins said Heading had a number of previous convictions, but not for a number of years.
A Hastings District Council spokeswoman said it was disappointing that incidents like this occur.
"The outcome often means the full costs of such activity can't be recouped, so there is an impact on ratepayers.
"To help deter such behaviour, however, parking meters do have alarms on them and CCTV footage helps council and police identify perpetrators, and seek reparation through the court process."
