Community work burglar targets school

While serving community work a Rotorua man broke into a school, hiding the goods he stole in a bush and returning later for them.
Jensen Gene Tamarau Werahiko, 21, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary when he appeared before Judge Phillip Cooper in the Rotorua District Court.
On May 14, Werahiko was sentenced to 40 hours' community work and during while working with a group on a community work project at Rotokawa School on September 5, he noticed a window ajar in one of the classrooms.
According to the police summary of facts, while other offenders went about their work at the school, Werahiko climbed through the window.
He stole a set of multi-media speakers and a control panel for a data projector.
Werahiko hid the stolen items in bushes in a nearby garden in the school grounds and went back to work with the rest of the crew.
Later in the day he returned to where he had hidden the goods only to find them gone. They had been discovered earlier by a staff member.
Werahiko told police he wasn't even sure if he could sell the equipment.
Judge Cooper referred Werahiko for restorative justice with Mana Social Services but he warned the 21-year-old he would probably be going to prison.
"One of the aggravating features in the case is you did this while serving a sentence of community detention," the judge said.
"You can front up to teachers and students from the school and explain yourself and apologise for what you have done."
Werahiko was remanded on bail until December 1 for pre-sentence reports.