Ex-student trashed school

Photo / SUpplied

A former Tauranga Boys' College student has been jailed for 16 months after breaking into and trashing two of the school's classrooms.

Storm Aneru Shortcliffe, 31, appeared in Tauranga District Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to charges of burglary and intentional damage.

When Judge Louis Bidois asked him why he had done what he did, Shortcliffe replied: "I don't know, I'm not sure".

The police summary revealed about 10.45pm on May 24 Shortcliffe entered the college grounds.

After smashing a wooden handrail and breaking off a length of wood he used it to smash a glass pane in the door to room 54 and reached through to unlock the door.

Once inside, he also used the piece of wood to smash taps, causing the room to flood.

Shortcliffe then went to another room and threw musical instruments and furniture around the room, damaging some beyond repair.

An extremely drunk Shortcliffe was found by police as he was leaving the second classroom and they arrested him. He was too drunk to be interviewed that night back at the police station.

Judge Bidois told Shortcliffe his actions had resulted in a significant expense and clean-up time for the school and being drunk was no excuse.

"This was just mindless, wanton damage," the judge said.

Under further questioning by Judge Bidois, Shortcliffe revealed that he had indeed been a student at the college in 1998. "It doesn't make sense. If you can do this amount damage to your old school, what else can you do to other parts of the community? To do this was just mindless stuff," the judge said.