Man who stole women’s undies off Ngongotahā clothesline sent to jail

Mark Woods has been jailed for stealing a woman's undies off a clothesline. Photo / Andrew Warner

A Rotorua man has been jailed for 14 months after he snuck into the yard of a Ngongotahā home and stole women’s underwear.

Mark Woods, 49, appeared for sentencing yesterday in the Rotorua District Court after previously pleading guilty to two charges of burglary.

Judge Greg Hollister-Jones said pre-sentencing reports revealed Woods was stealing the underwear because he wanted to wear them.

Woods has two previous convictions stemming from 2018 when he was jailed for doing an indecent act and possession of objectionable material.

His lawyer, Taria Ngawhika, asked the judge to consider home detention and said although he didn’t have an approved address at present, one was being arranged.

Judge Hollister Jones said he would grant leave for Woods to apply for home detention.

“I will give a caution. There needs to be a robust and comprehensive safety plan.”

He noted the address Woods was looking to move to was one a local church was supporting him to get and it was in central Rotorua.

Judge Hollister-Jones said caution was needed if Woods was considering going into a multi-tenanted property.

A police summary of facts, released to the Rotorua Daily Post before yesterday’s sentencing, said Woods went to the property at Ngongotahā at 3.25pm on June 30.

He gained entry to the backyard through a property next door. He took seven pairs of women’s underwear off the clothesline and put them in a backpack.

Woods went back to the same house at 1pm on November 5 and selected two pairs of women’s underwear and put them in a satchel.

Reparation of $30 was sought by police but wasn’t awarded by Judge Hollister-Jones.

“The amount of clothing taken was small. The significance of it is not.”

Judge Hollister-Jones said the principal aggravating feature was the nature of the clothing and the fact he went to the same house twice.

He said while it was clear from the reports Woods intended to wear the garments, the victim could rightly believe there were more sinister motives behind his offending.

Woods was given a range of discounts totalling 40 per cent, including 25 per cent for his guilty plea and 15 per cent for issues in his past that led to the “complex set of behaviours” where he offended in this way twice.