Prolific burglar Jamie Downard, 47, admitted seven burglary charges and another of obtaining by deception when he appeared in the Hamilton District Court today. Photo / Waikato police
A prolific burglar - who once stole a child’s piggy bank - says he broke into seven homes to help pay off a $13,000 drug debt.
James Keith Downard, known as Jamie, had been wanted by police for about two weeks and was arrested after police executed a search warrant in Te Rapa, Hamilton, yesterday.
The 47-year-old admitted seven charges of burglary, one of obtaining by deception, and two of breaching prison release conditions.
Corrections are seeking a prison recall warrant.
Downard broke into homes all around Hamilton between April 26 and May 21.
He gained access into two Hamilton East apartments through a neighbouring construction site and got in through a rear ranchslider, stealing items including jewellery and alcohol.
The following morning, he went to a Frankton home and jemmied open a bedroom window to search through the house before fleeing with jewellery, watches and technology items.
On April 28, at 2.57pm, he signed a document at Cash Convertors stating a gold ring he’d stolen was his. He sold it for $2000 and it was stolen on April 27.
On May 5, he broke into a St Andrews home which had security cameras that caught him climbing through a bedroom window. He stole jewellery, a watch, and a drone in a hard carry case - which he sold to an associate.
Five days later he entered the yard of an Ulster St property.
The homeowner was alerted to his presence by his security system and Downard was spotted walking along the rear of the property holding a piece of paper and a mobile phone.
He then tipped out a glass recycling bin and put it under a kitchen window which he opened about 1cm.
Nothing was taken, but he then broke into a neighbouring house and stole more jewellery and other valuable items, however, he dropped his cellphone in the backyard.
And between 11am and 3.25pm, he broke into a River Rd property through a laundry window. Although the security system was on, he crawled around to avoid detection before searching the house for valuable items.
He left with jewellery and foreign currency.
He went to Lotus Foreign Exchange where he converted Australian and US dollars to receive $813.10.
When spoken to by police Downard admitted his crimes stating he owed $13,000 in relation to a drug debt, and broke into the homes to help pay that debt.
Downard has a prolific burglary and dishonesty history with his offending stretching over to Napier, throughout the Waikato, and down to Taupō, for which he was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison. He had even stolen a child’s piggy bank, Stuff reported.
He was granted parole to Te Awamutu earlier this year before carrying out his latest offending.
Victims of Downard’s latest offending, last month shared his image on social media in the hopes of helping to track him down.
He was this afternoon convicted on all charges by Judge Kevin Glubb and remanded in custody to reappear for sentencing in August.
Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for nine years and has been a journalist for 20.
Javon Aranui was rushed to hospital in an ambulance but died the next day.