Meanwhile Ahipara teenager Vincent Dunasemant received a similar response after the court heard that he had completed 35 hours of a 320-hour sentence imposed in January 2011. He told Judge Davis that he was doing his community work on Sundays; Wednesday to Friday he took part in a pre-employment course, and Mondays and Tuesdays he went surfing.
Judge Davis suggested that he might forgo surfing until he had completed his sentence, giving him until March 22 to make some progress, failing which he would be looking at up to six months' imprisonment
Expensive reels
A 19-year-old Kaitaia man paid dearly for six $10 fishing reels that he tried to steal, and ended up leaving behind.
Devaray Heremaia Cole admitted one charge of burglary, was convicted and sentenced to 200 hours of community work when he appeared before Judge Greg Davis in the Kaitaia District Court last week.
According to the prosecution Cole and an unknown associate went to an address in North Road Kaitaia, the defendant taking the reels from a shelf in the carport and putting them in his bag.
As they were leaving they were accosted by the victim's neighbour, an off-duty police officer, who asked them what they were doing. When they said they were visiting friends they were told there was no one there to visit.
Repeatedly asked to put his bag on the ground so the neighbour could see what was in it, Cole dropped it and they left.
No more fines
A 25-year-old Kaitaia woman who already owed $4425 in fines was happy to pay more, Judge Greg Davis heard in the Kaitaia District Court last week after Marina Wharepapa admitted two counts of driving with excess alcohol.
Judge Davis told the defendant that fines would be "significant" if that option was taken, and that he was leaning more towards community detention.
Wharepapa was convicted and remanded on bail, on conditions including that she not drink alcohol, until May 9 for sentence.
The defendant, who according to counsel Cathy Murray was a beneficiary supporting five children with another on the way, was stopped in Auckland in October 2010, recording 920 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 400 micrograms.
She was stopped in Kaitaia on December 11 last year, recording 1114 micrograms, saying she had been at a pool party at the Waipapakauri Domain where she had drunk a lot of alcohol, possibly a box of Diesel bourbons.
Twenty-year-old Paris Sian Wihongi admitted driving with excess alcohol (635 micrograms per litre of breath), was convicted and fined $600 with costs of $132.89 and disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver's licence for six months.
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