Dad to judge: She was trying to help

A father has told a judge his daughter was only trying to help him when she received stolen goods.

A Mamaku woman who received a stolen excavator and trailer was doing it for her father, a court has heard.

Michelle Annette Swinburne, 24, appeared in the Rotorua District Court before Judge Chris McGuire on Monday for sentencing over receiving the stolen goods valued at $35,000.

Between June 8-20 this year, she received the excavator and trailer stolen from Porter Hire, Mt Maunganui.

David Swinburne, her father, was allowed to speak to the judge and said he felt guilty she was in this position.

"She was just helping out her Dad," he said from a wheelchair. "She had sold her car and knew I wanted a digger as I had just bought a lifestyle property as a bit of rehab."

Mr Swinburne said that he had contact with the people who provided the stolen property and said threats had been made.

"They said, 'If police were involved you and your family will never speak again,' so the repercussions were quite clear."

However Judge McGuire replied: "If we all respond by silence, evil will triumph and I'm not in that business."

Mr Swinburne again reiterated that his daughter's intentions had been good.

"All she was trying to do was help her Dad and I applaud her for that but at the end of the day, she didn't know it was stolen, neither did I and subsequently I take responsibility for that."

Judge McGuire took into account it was Swinburne's first offence and that she had a baby to raise. She was sentenced to three months' community detention.