Teenage Christchurch jewel thieves caught after smash-and-grab raids

The teens targeted jewellery stores in Christchurch and Wellington. Photo / Thinkstock

Two teenage jewel thieves have been snared over a spate of smash-and-grab raids.

Anaru Tyson Dry, then aged 19, and an 18-year-old accomplice targeted jewellery stores in Christchurch and Wellington over a three-week period last year.

They made off with thousands of dollars' worth of signet rings, diamond rings, pendants and gold chains.

For his role, the 18-year-old has already been sentenced to six months of community detention, along with 150 hours of community work, 12 months' intensive supervision and judicial monitoring. He's also been ordered to pay back $15,000.

At Christchurch District Court yesterday, Judge Gerard Lynch told Dry – just turned 20 - that his youth might also just save him from spending time behind bars.

"It won't give me much pleasure to send you to jail," he said.

But the judge warned Dry that he'd better to cooperate with his probation officer and agree to any help he might need.

Through his lawyer Nicole Johnston, Dry pleaded guilty to five theft charges.

A police summary of facts says his first target was a jewellery store at a Christchurch shopping mall on September 12 last year.

He asked staff about buying a $5000 signet ring and was allowed to try it on.

But with the ring on his finger, he ran from the store, and out of the mall.

Other subsequent raids saw Dry and his co-conspirator ask about particular jewellery items at various stores in Christchurch and Wellington – and when they were shown to them, the pair would swipe them and run off.

The stolen jewellery amounted to tens of thousands.

When police officers caught up with Dry, he claimed he'd been pressured into the thefts after being "threatened by an unknown male", the police summary of facts says.

Dry also claimed he couldn't remember ever being at other stores.

He will be sentenced in August.