Man burgled Arrowtown Golf Club while high on drugs and alcohol, court hears

A man caught ransacking a golf club shed while wearing an orange hazmat suit and a gas mask was high on drugs, a court has heard.

Daniel Shawn Scott, 37, of South Hill, Waitaki, had put on the suit and mask after finding them in an unlocked shed at the Arrowtown Golf Club on April 9.

Scott also drank a can of beer as he piled up clothing, two boxes of beer and other items ready to take away in a light truck he had stolen from a Lake Hayes property earlier that morning.

When he was disturbed by a club employee about 8am, he bolted and drove off — hitting a gatepost on the way out — but left his wallet and personal documents behind.

About 9.20am, as police were taking a statement from the employee, Scott drove back to the shed and quickly found himself under arrest.

He later refused to undergo a compulsory impairment test.

Scott represented himself at his sentencing in the Queenstown District Court on Monday on charges of burglary, unlawfully taking a vehicle and aggravated disqualified driving.

He told Judge Catriona Doyle the mitigating factors in his offending were his guilty pleas after police made amendments to his charges, his offer to pay reparation and his willingness to engage in restorative justice.

Judge Doyle said she welcomed his engagement with the court given he had refused to speak at his first two appearances in May and June.

In sentencing, she accepted his submissions on mitigating factors, and considered he had expressed remorse at his previous appearance in September when, at her suggestion, he apologised to some Arrowtown Golf Club employees and members sitting in the public gallery.

Scott had told them he was so high on drugs at the time of the offending — “You saw the state I was in” — he did not know what he was doing.

After applying sentencing discounts, Judge Doyle came to a term of imprisonment of 18.75 months, which she converted to nine months’ home detention.

She deducted three months for his time in custody since his arrest to reach an end sentence of six months’ home detention.

He would be subject to conditions to enable intervention for any drug and alcohol issues.

Judge Doyle said Scott had not acknowledged drug use was a factor in his offending, but it was “pretty obvious” from his criminal history that it was.

He must pay the golf club reparation of $400, and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Also sentenced by Judge Doyle in the Queenstown District Court on Monday were:

• Joseph Augustus James Lawrence Cooksley, 42, kitchen hand, of Queenstown - intentional damage (motor vehicle), September 6, convicted and discharged, reparation $400.
• Maxine Shirley Anne Piki-Ahu Tangiwai Warner, 49, shop assistant, of Frankton - assault in family relationship, July 26, 12 months’ judicially monitored intensive supervision.
• Kalum Geoffrey Pritchard, 39, apprentice builder, of Auckland - aggravated drink-driving (766mcg), breaching zero-alcohol licence, Whangaparaoa Rd, Whangaparaoa, September 16, six months’ community detention, six months’ intensive supervision, disqualified two years.