Stolen rings blessed, offender sent to jail

RECOVERED: Louisa Neilson, now de Farias, displays the wedding rings which were stolen from her Whanganui home.PHOTO/ STUART MUNRO

The woman who stole a couple's wedding rings before their big day has been sent to prison.

Shai Gilsenan-Haddon appeared in the Whanganui District Court yesterday on a number of charges, one of which related to offending on August 17, when she burgled a Whanganui couple's home.

Victim Louisa de Farias told the Chronicle at the time about $15,000 worth of property had been stolen, including she and her then-fiance's wedding rings.

After the theft, one of the burglars took the rings to the same Michael Hill store they were bought from and tried to sell them. But a staff member at the counter recognised the rings and knew the victims well.

"He tried to keep him talking and get the rings off him," Mrs de Farias said. "[The offender] ended up grabbing the bag and running out the door. Then he went to Cash Converters and sold them for $100."

Gilsenan-Haddon, 21, pleaded guilty in court to burgling the house.

She also pleaded guilty to unrelated charges of wilful damage, trespass, driving while suspended, and breaching community work.

Judge Dugald Matheson said some of the other charges related to offending on February 3 when Gilsenan-Haddon had been drinking, had a physical fight with another victim, and kicked dents into their rear door.

Later the same day she went to the same victim's home and smashed the front windscreen of a car parked there.

Judge Matheson said Gilsenan-Haddon had a "regrettable" criminal history of dishonesty.

"You very simply don't do what anybody asks you to do, you're going to get around to it in your own time, it appears, but I'm going to give you a bit of time to think about it."

He sentenced her to nine months in prison with six months post release conditions.

"I regret doing this to one so young as you, but you have left me with no option," he said.

Mrs de Farias was happy with the sentence and said it was "a relief".

"I'm really, like, happy with that outcome, obviously," she told the Chronicle after the sentencing.

"That'll be a way she won't be able to cause any more grief for a while."

Mrs de Farias hoped some self-reflection in prison would give Gilsenan-Haddon the motivation to "stop the vicious cycle".

"I do hope that she does take a look at herself and the future of herself and other family members."

Louisa and her fiance tied the knot with their recovered wedding rings last Saturday after having the rings cleaned and blessed.