Ten offenders, aged between 15 and 19, stormed six businesses, including the Caltex Hillcrest, early on January 19 last year. Image / Google maps
A group of 10 teen burglars stole a car, then set off on a spree of “utter mayhem” around the Waikato, smashing their way into six businesses.
One carload, containing five, was chased down by the police and caught. The other five escaped in a separate vehicle.
This week, three of the caught offenders - Hunter Vader Kingi, now 20, Peter Nusipepa, now 20, and Dillinjah Hohepa-Strickland, now 19 - appeared in the Hamilton District Court before Judge Noel Cocurullo.
Kingi and Nusipepa had earlier admitted aggravated burglary, five burglaries, and motor vehicle conversion.
Hohepa-Strickland faced the same charges except for one, which involved the burglary of Hillcrest Mobil.
Judge Cocurullo said the group “caused utter mayhem” during the early hours of January 19 last year, targeting supermarkets and petrol stations.
That “mayhem” began earlier in the evening in Hamilton East when a vehicle was stolen, and used by Kingi and others.
The group drove to the Save-a-Lot supermarket in Te Kauwhata, in two stolen cars.
Three offenders kicked, forced, and squeezed their way through the sliding doors at 1.10am, while Nusipepa smashed the glass door with a tyre iron.
They stole cigarettes and vaping products before driving to the nearby New World.
There, the front door was smashed off its rails.
They ran to the staff-only area and rummaged through the checkouts before leaving with unknown property.
By 2.57am, they were in Hamilton, outside Thirsty Liquor Hillcrest.
The group used various tools to try to get in, smashing the glass doors, but ultimately failed as the security grille blocked them.
The store alarms went off, and the fog cannon was activated, which sent the offenders fleeing to New World Hillcrest on Cambridge Rd.
One of the group forced open the front door, allowing some to enter, while others smashed a glass pane and gained entry that way.
Again, they headed to the staff-only area before fleeing. It was unclear what was stolen.
Four minutes later, at 3.05am, they drove across the road to Mobil Hillcrest.
Kingi and his co-offenders used various tools, as well as kicking, to smash the glass windows and pry the doors open.
However, the fog cannon was activated, and the group ran from the store.
Lastly, the group went to Caltex Hillcrest, which, at 3.09am, was open with only one attendant.
All 10 offenders got out of their cars, wearing disguises, and ran through the front doors, while Nusipepa stood at the front door holding a screwdriver.
The store attendant feared for his safety, ran to a back room and activated the fog cannon.
Kingi and another offender jumped over the counter and stole cigarettes, while the others stole other items.
After loading the car, they took off at speed on to Cambridge Rd, while a responding police unit spotted the stolen Nissan Juke and pulled in behind.
The driver accelerated away, reaching speeds of 75km/h in a 50km/h zone.
But the car lost a wheel and stopped at Waikato University.
The occupants fled but werecaught shortly afterby a police dog and handler, and other officers.
All up, about $20,000 in damage was caused to the businesses.
In court, Mark Fyers, counsel for Kingi, said beyond the number of participants, the offending was at the lower end of the scale, “although there was some damage done and items [taken]”.
He suggested an overall starting point of five years’ jail, adding that it was a significant amount of prison time for such a young man with no criminal history.
“It’s significant offending,” the judge replied.
Fyers accepted that, and along with 20% for Kingi’s plea, suggested a further 20% for his youth, but noted he wouldn’t be in a position to pay reparation.
Judge Cocurullo wasn’t impressed, but didn’t feel great about having to send a young person to prison.
“He’s the last person I want to jail.
“It’s such a sad day ... if they think they can go out and cause utter mayhem, and I can press a reset button, and it’s all better, and come in say ‘I’m remorseful’.”
Fyers agreed it was serious, but pushed for an end sentence of home detention.
Judge Cocurullo disagreed, and instead took an overall starting point of six and a half years’ imprisonment, with 45% in discounts, jailing King for 36 months, which also included six months discount for time on electronically-monitored bail.
Glen Prentice, on behalf of Nusipepa, said the Caltex worker saw what was happening and “took the sensible evasive action that he should have”.
He labelled the offending as a “classic spree of burglaries ... by five young people which has changed their lives forever”.
“This really does appear to be young people not thinking about consequences ... just doing something crazy.”
Nusipepa was remorseful, had shown insight, and apart from Christmas Day, had spent a year on EM-bail without issue.
Prentice also pushed for home detention, but Judge Cocurullo said the offending was too serious
He jailed Nusipepa for two years and 10 months.
Counsel Nadine Baier said that although Hohepa-Strickland was on straight bail for the past 12 months, he had been working full-time on a rubbish truck to continue supporting his family.
He’d also participated in one fewer burglary, had no previous convictions, and was remorseful.
“He’s a young man, he works five to six days on rubbish trucks and has been working since he was 15 to help support his family.
“His pay goes towards rent, and he helps his mum and other siblings.”
She pushed for discounts totalling 70%, much to the astonishment of Judge Cocurullo.
“Seventy %?” he asked.
“How could it ever be 70%? I’m just struggling to understand that.”
Baier said when she separated out all the various discounts, that’s what it equalled.
“These are the discounts that the law allows for,” she said.
Judge Cocurullo acceded to 50% credit and jailed Hohepa-Strickland for two years and nine months.
One of the other co-accused is being dealt with in the Youth Court, while the other remains before the adult court.
Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 11 years and has been a journalist for 22 years.