‘Hungry’ meat thief gets nine months’ jail for carrying fake gun and stealing

James Weir has been sentenced to nine months in prison for charges including the theft of meat from supermarkets. He appeared in the Nelson District Court today via video link. Photo / Tracy Neal

James Weir stole hundreds of dollars worth of meat, some of which he stuffed in his jacket, and walked around carrying a fake gun.

When asked by police why he shoplifted the meat he said he was hungry. Now the possession of the fake Glock pistol has landed him more jail time.

The 29-year-old has been in custody since October after he was caught shoplifting from supermarkets and a department store on numerous occasions, including right up to the day before his court appearance in October, when he admitted the charges.

He was sentenced in the Nelson District Court today to nine months in prison but was granted leave to apply for home detention.

At one of the three supermarkets from where he stole a total of more than $700 worth of meat, he went as far as to challenge a store manager who confronted him saying; “What are you going to do about it?”, before walking out the door with the stolen goods.

On a separate occasion, he confronted a worker outside a workshop with a fake pistol.

The court heard in October his behaviour had been influenced by his mother’s serious health diagnosis, and that he had been trying to get himself back on track. He even had a job prospect.

Weir’s crime spree began in May when he went to the rear of a workshop in Motueka carrying an imitation pistol in his right hand.

A staff member stepped outside and was confronted by Weir asking the whereabouts of a person named Patrick.

“Where is Patrick? If you see him, tell him to lay down,” Weir told the worker.

James Weir has been sentenced to prison for carrying an imitation pistol, with leave to apply for home detention. Photo / Tracy Neal

Judge Tony Zohrab said in sentencing Weir today that while he might not have thought he was doing anything wrong, anyone else “staring down the barrel” of the gun he was holding wouldn’t know if it was real or not.

“While you might have got your jollies out of it, it was a serious matter for the person involved,” Judge Zohrab said.

Weir was later found by police sitting at a picnic table with friends, with the imitation Glock pistol down the back of his trousers.

In July Weir wandered into a Motueka holiday park and began looking around the motel units. He went into one and settled down to drink a beer.

When the caretaker asked what he was doing, Weir became abusive and began shouting before he was removed from the premises and then trespassed. He initially told police he had been invited by others who were staying there.

In early September, Weir went into a Nelson supermarket where he put meat in a large trolley and then concealed it in the jacket he was wearing and walked through the self-scanning area, and out the door.

His actions were captured on the in-store CCTV.

Several days later Weir went to a supermarket in Richmond. He made his way to the butchery, carrying a reusable shopping bag, in which he placed more than $300 worth of meat. Again, he walked through the self-scanning area, though his actions were seen by staff and on CCTV.

A few days later in a Nelson department store Weir selected two electric shavers, each worth $249 and hid them in the lining of his jacket before trying to leave the store, taking care not to walk past any staff member, the police summary said.

The store’s audible theft alarm was activated by the stolen shavers as Weir walked out, but a staff member’s request to turn out his pockets revealed nothing, and he walked off.

Weir then went to another Nelson supermarket and took $200 worth of meat, again placing the items in a trolley and then hiding it in his jacket.

The store manager confronted him, but Weir left the store saying, “What are you going to do about it?”

He later told police he was hungry and told them, “Go with whatever the video (CCTV) says”.

The day before his October court appearance Weir went into another Nelson department store and selected items of clothing and a child’s bike.

He put on a jacket taken from a clothing rack, and then left the store, without making any attempt to pay.

Weir was confronted outside by a staff member, but he walked away, pushing a shopping trolley with $467 worth of stolen items.

Police were called and Weir was found with the goods.

Defence lawyer Kyle Simonsen told the court Weir was in frequent contact with his mother and despite her own difficulties, she emphasised her support for him.

Judge Zohrab said he was cautious about describing Weir’s shoplifting as modest offending because shopkeepers who lost a large chunk of their bottom line through theft wouldn’t see it that way.

In sentencing Weir to prison, Judge Zohrab took into account his “reasonably long” criminal history, including that it wasn’t the first time he’d stolen or been in possession of a weapon, all of which showed he had capacity for “serious violence”.

He was sentenced to nine months on the lead charge of carrying the pistol, and two months on each of the remaining charges, to be served concurrently.

Reparation was sought on all shoplifting charges.

In recognition of Weir’s time in custody already, he was granted leave to apply for home detention.