Judge opts punitive over rehab sentence - here's why..

Whanganui District Court. Photo / File

A rehabilitative sentence for someone with a history of theft who is not ready to make steps forward would be a "waste of time and resources".

That was the message Judge Stephanie Edwards gave to the man who broke into a Wanganui Chronicle company car in October and later blamed it on the booze.

Reo Gilbey Webster had previously pleaded guilty to shoplifting and unlawfully interfering in a motor vehicle when he appeared in the Whanganui District Court on Tuesday for sentencing.

Defence lawyer Stephanie Burlace said Webster had a drinking problem and had thought a supervision sentence would be appropriate to address his issues with alcohol.

Judge Edwards said she did not want to waste probation's time and resources if Webster wasn't ready to address his drinking.

Ms Burlace then spoke to Webster in private before telling the judge he was not ready.

"Perhaps if we save the resources for another person," Ms Burlace said.

At about 7am on Tuesday October 17, Webster was caught on the Chronicle's CCTV cameras smashing the right rear window of a company car.

After the police had no luck tracking the culprit down, the Chronicle posted the video on social media and a Facebook user identified Webster and he was immediately arrested.

Judge Edwards said property theft seemed to be a continued pattern for Webster, referring to four shoplifting charges he faced in the last year.

"Frankly, and to your credit as you have admitted it, you are not in a place to take a rehabilitative sentence."

Ms Burlace said Webster was willing to participate in restorative justice but the Chronicle was not.

Judge Edwards said that businesses usually don't want to take part in restorative justice because it takes up a lot of their time to attend meetings.

"Businesses are often having stuff stolen, they've heard it all before and they don't want to hear it again.

"You need to stop this pattern of drinking and stealing other people's property," the judge told Webster.

Webster was convicted on both charges and sentenced to 140 hours of community work.