Whangarei Countdown robbery inside job

When police interviewed Jade Kaire-Laybourn after what they thought was a supermarket robbery, she was horrified and tearful.

The checkout operator was also acting, after staging a fake heist with her boyfriend Tuki Hanlon at Countdown Tikipunga on October 17.

Minutes earlier, Hanlon - jailed yesterday for 11 months - had walked up to his girlfriend's checkout at Countdown, where she worked part-time.

It was 9.35pm. He had two bags of chips and a note that said "shut your mouth, I have a gun, don't look at anyone, if anyone follows I won't hesitate, give me all the money".

Kaire-Laybourn scanned Hanlon's chips, he gave her the note, and she handed over $1329.40

Kaire-Laybourn then claimed she had been robbed, and that the robber had a gun.

She faked tears, shock and horror.

Three weeks later police uncovered the lie.

Police laid three charges of burglary against Hanlon - one for Countdown and two related to a break-in by him and an associate at two baches at a bay about 40km north-east of Whangarei, on June 12, this year.

He admitted all three charges and yesterday was sentenced in the Whangarei District Court to 11 months' jail.

Judge John McDonald said Hanlon had entered the supermarket wearing a pair of hand gloves and made attempts to conceal his face. Kaire-Laybourn's behaviour after the pair colluded was "nonsense".

"How you thought police would fall for it is beyond me," the judge said.

Kaire-Laybourn had given police a totally different description of Hanlon.

Only $600 was recovered from her.

Hanlon told a probation officer he got into a relationship with Kaire-Laybourn after moving to Whangarei from Auckland and that financial pressure led him into crime.

He had been in custody since November and after serving time in jail, he wished to return to Auckland.

Kaire-Laybourn has pleaded guilty to charges of burglary and giving a false statement of crime.

She is on bail and will be sentenced in February.

Hanlon's lawyer Dave Sayes said his client thought he would breach home detention and would instead accept a short term of imprisonment.

His family had paid the stolen money in full and Hanlon pleaded guilty early, Mr Sayes submitted.

He said Hanlon surrendered himself to police after talking with his family.

In the other two burglary charges, Judge McDonald said Hanlon and Charles Waetford, 18, were camping when they decided to break into holiday homes. They stole food and a pair of binoculars from one bach and fishing reel, diving gear, and a pair of sunglasses from another.

Hanlon was jailed for 11 months on all charges while Waetford was sentenced to two months' community detention.

Hanlon's actions at Countdown sparked an armed offenders' squad callout to a Whangarei home.