Jail for betraying church members

He betrayed the charity of his fellow Christian church-goers, and this week Cameron Alan Manning was sent to jail.

Manning, 27, appeared in the Whanganui District Court on Wednesday facing several charges, including theft, causing loss by deception and obtaining by deception.

Manning's offending began in February when he asked to borrow a car from a fellow church member "for a short time", Judge Dugald Matheson told the court.

He ignored requests for its return and even put $50 of petrol in it at the Gull service station on Victoria Ave before driving off without paying. The car's owner later paid this debt.

In March, Manning, formerly of Wellington, took his wife and her children to a hotel in Paekakariki, telling management they were looking to buy a house in Wellington. They left the next day without paying for the room.

At that time, Manning had told members of his church his mother had passed away and he needed money to travel to Wellington. One church-goer gave him $150 for petrol and helped Manning and his family by making them meals.

On April 11, Manning applied for a fuelcard, claiming he was a painter with jobs lined up in the King Country, and citing Mainfreight as a previous employer. He was given credit on the card and bought a total of $480.81 of petrol.

He had never worked for Mainfreight and, when confronted by police about the debt, said he could not repay it.

Finally, Manning asked another member of his church for the use of a chainsaw. When he was asked to return the chainsaw, he offered excuses and failed to appear at an agreed meeting to discuss the matter.

Judge Matheson said the chainsaw had still not been returned.

The court heard this was not the first time Manning had appeared on such charges. Quentin Stratford, acting as assigned counsel, said Manning had previous convictions mirroring this offending but, this time, there were none of the violent and negative elements shown in the past such as drugs, alcohol and threats to kill.

Mr Stratford said Manning had a young son and asked for home detention as Manning needed to support his family.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Rachel Willemsen argued against home detention, citing Manning's "appalling record of compliance" with breaches of release conditions, and that letters presented to the court showed the impact of his offending on the community.

Judge Matheson said Manning had a history of targeting vulnerable people, befriending them and cultivating their trust.

"People and agencies sought to help you but your constant untruthfulness and manipulation has caused some of these agencies to become reluctant to continue offering you their services. They showed their Christian charity which you betrayed.

"You are said to have a distorted view of your offending, minimising your criminality to yourself. You have numerous previous convictions, including dozens similar to this, violence and failure to comply with court orders."

Manning was sentenced to seven-and-a-half-months imprisonment and ordered to pay reparations of $70 for conversion of a motor vehicle, seven-and-a-half-months imprisonment and reparations of $1000 for theft of the chainsaw and seven-and-a-half-months imprisonment and reparations of $570 for the motel debt.

For the fuelcard he was sentenced to two months imprisonment and reparations of $480, two months imprisonment and reparations of $70 for the petrol station fuel theft and two months imprisonment and reparations of $150 for the money lent by the church member. The jail sentences are to be served concurrently.