Francis Freemantle jailed after breaking into Christchurch NZME office, stealing two company cars

Francis Fremantle was arrested in Bexley Reserve after burgling NZME’s Christchurch office on March 20. Photo / George Heard

A man who targeted an NZME office in an overnight break-in stole two branded company cars worth $110,000.

Francis Bronson Freemantle, 38, broke into the Christchurch building about 1am on March 20 this year.

Once inside, he had no real plan for what he’d do next, he told police.

Freemantle drank some coffee, then saw a set of keys. After pressing a button on the keys and unlocking a vehicle, he got in and drove off in it.

He returned to the office two hours later, found another set of keys and a second vehicle.

Freemantle jumped in and drove that vehicle away as well.

One of the vehicles Freemantle stole was branded with The Hits radio station featuring show hosts Jono and Ben, and the second had ZM branding. They had a combined value of $110,000.

Francis Fremantle stole two company cars during the burglaries. Photo / George Heard

Freemantle had attempted to remove the signwriting from the vehicles. He was later arrested in Bexley Reserve.

Today, he appeared in the Christchurch District Court for sentencing.

Judge Mark Callaghan said Freemantle had been serving a community sentence at the time of the burglaries, imposed in June 2024 for a family harm assault.

The judge said there was an element of planning and motivation in the burglaries.

“It was probably spontaneous, but you went back, which showed planning. You used a code, it shows me you were motivated.”

Defence lawyer Emily McElrea said Freemantle was “wandering” the city centre and “found” the code to the building.

There was some element of sophistication in that he returned to the property, she said.

“It is opportunistic offending.”

Freemantle had a long-standing methamphetamine addiction, which was linked to the offending, had been in custody since March, and had completed a course while in custody to address his addiction, she submitted.

While a pre-sentence report recommended jail, McElrea submitted that he be given leave to apply for home detention when an appropriate address became available.

Freemantle was supported by his ex-partner in court, McElrea said.

“It has been a significant wake-up call for him. His ex-partner is looking to get a cabin at the back of her property that he can live in.”

Judge Callaghan said he had difficulty accepting the defence submissions.

“You have been before the courts before and received credits.”

However, on two charges of burglary, he sentenced Freemantle to 15 months and two weeks imprisonment, and gave him leave to apply for home detention.

With that sentence, the judge said, he had to consider a sentence of home detention.

“My preference would be at a treatment centre,” the judge warned.

He also imposed 12 months of release conditions and a reparation order of $8108.47 in NZME’s favour.

The cars were found and returned to the company.

Al Williams is an Open Justice reporter for the New Zealand Herald, based in Christchurch. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas for the past 16 years. Most recently he was editor of the Hauraki-Coromandel Post, based in Whangamatā. He was previously deputy editor of the Cook Islands News.