Chef admits burgling restaurant 13 times

A 20-year-old chef has admitted burgling the Wanaka pizza restaurant where he worked at least 13 times.

Timothy James Andrews pleaded guilty in Christchurch District Court to 13 charges of burglary, one of theft, and unlawfully taking a car.

Andrews admitted that he was very susceptible to peer pressure and used money and food from the business to socialise and to impress his friends.

He faces paying back $1400.

Defence counsel Richard Peters said the offences mostly happened when Andrews was aged 19. He asked Judge McMeeken to get a report that would allow a home detention sentence.

Judge McMeeken remanded Andrews on bail to March 1 for sentence, ordering a pre-sentence report, a home detention report, and a report on his ability to pay the reparations.

- NZPA