Thief left footprints in snow for police to follow

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A man who broke into a dairy during a snowfall, leaving a clear track for police to follow, was sentenced yesterday for the "Keystone Cops" crime.

On August 15, Oamaru man Lemual Jason Macdonald, 39, and another man broke into a local dairy at 3am with tobacco and Kronic their targets.

But after they smashed in, they realised the owners lived on-site and panicked, grabbing five packets of chips and some ice-cream instead.

Police prosecutor Ross Hutton said there was heavy snowfall outside and the defendant made footprints on the ground, which police followed.

Counsel Michael de Buyzer said the case had "an element of Keystone Cops".

"It was opportunistic and bound for failure," he said.

Judge Alistair Garland convicted Macdonald and sentenced him to 200 hours' community work for the burglary.

He was was also convicted and sentenced to 60 hours' community work (cumulative) for assault on October 11 and convicted and sentenced to 60 hours' community work (concurrently) for possession of utensils for cannabis consumption on August 18.