A Napier man has been sentenced to 13 months in prison for an online scam, amid claims he's been teaching fellow inmates how to carry-out computer crime.
But in Napier District Court last week, Judge Tony Adeane took little account of claims by 26-year-old Michael John Shaw that he was underthe influence of others he had met in jail.
Shaw had been in court for the first time for such offending as a teenager and, according to a summary, Trade Me had banned him because of complaints relating to his practices which had twice led to convictions for illegal trading involving failing to deliver property sold by him.
Last year he was sentenced to six months' jail, and back out in the community again committed more offences from November to February, involving online purchases through other sites using details of stolen credit cards.
He made more online purchases using stolen card details in May, while on bail which banned him from computer activity and accessing the internet.
In the incidents from last November, Shaw had made purchases worth almost $77,000, mainly computers. Crown prosecutor Josh Lucas said only $12,500 had been delivered.
