Meth was crim's 'driving force'

Jade Mellow in court yesterday. Photo / Ben Fraser

A Rotorua meth addict has been jailed for an "opportunistic" robbery of two foreign tourists at the Waiotapu hot pools.

Jade Raymond Mellow, 21, was sentenced in the Rotorua District Court yesterday to three-and-a-half years in prison after previously pleading guilty to two charges of aggravated robbery.

Judge Arthur Tompkins said Mellow and two associates came across the tourists - a 20-year-old Swiss man and a 26-year-old Korean woman - at the hot pools on the night of July 3.

He said Mellow stole possessions from their camper van then assaulted and robbed the male victim, who later needed stitches.

Items taken included a laptop, camera, cash, jewellery and other miscellaneous items worth more than $1000.

Mellow's lawyer, Rob Vigor-Brown, said his client had pleaded guilty without a lawyer at his first appearance and had been "more than co-operative" with police.

He said Mellow, who had 40 previous convictions, was a meth addict.

"Obviously that was one of the drivers of his offending," Mr Vigor-Brown said.

He said Mellow wanted to address his addiction, but couldn't without counselling.

Judge Tompkins said Mellow had targeted tourists in a vulnerable situation, but noted it was opportunistic rather than premeditated offending.

He said he hoped the prison term would allow Mellow to get treatment for his drug addiction, which was a "driving force" behind the robbery.

Mellow was also sentenced to concurrent terms of imprisonment for two charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, three of theft of petrol, theft of a jacket, two breaches of community work and release conditions, an assault and a breach of bail.

Mellow's alleged co-offenders Michael William Absolum, 33, and Blake John Lee, 19, have both pleaded not guilty to aggravated robbery and will next appear in court on September 11.