Bay of Plenty man convicted after stealing items from skip bins on building sites

Paengaroa man Steven James Cooper was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court to 80 hours' community work . Photo / NZME

Helping yourself to items discarded in skip bins without permission is not okay — it’s theft.

That’s the costly reminder for Paengaroa man Steven James Cooper, 43, who now has four convictions for theft under $500 after he admitted those offences in the Tauranga District Court on July 20.

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of three months’ prison.

The court heard Cooper helped himself to $1200 of mostly building materials from three construction site skip bins in Pāpāmoa, and stole another $400 of items from a fourth construction site in the area.

On March 4, Cooper drove his Toyota Hilux ute into Kioate St in Papamoa and helped himself to a number of building items from skip bins on three separate construction sites.

This included reinforcing steel, mesh, a fence panel and stainless steel cup valued at $400 belonging to the Thorne Group, andwire, brass, copper and metal bars worth $350 from a skip bin at a Generation Homes construction site.

After loading those items into his ute, Cooper removed six lengths of tin and flashing valued at $450 from the nearby Brunel Construction skip bin.

He also stole roofing iron, a power cable, a PlayStation and other miscellaneous items valued at $400 from the Baptist Church Golden Homes construction site.

A short time later, Cooper was stopped by police in Te Puke and arrested. All the stolen items were recovered.

When interviewed by police, Cooper admitted taking the items and said he had intended to sell them to a scrap dealer.

In explanation, Cooper stated he thought it was okay to take the items because he had done it before.

Cooper’s lawyer, Nephi Pukepuke, urged Judge Christina Cook to impose a come up if called upon sentence because of his client’s lack of prior convictions.

This sentence means if a person reoffends within a year, they can also be resentenced on their earlier charges.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Dan Dickison argued a sentence of community work was appropriate given the level of offending and Cooper’s admission he had offended in this way before.

Judge Cook agreed and sentenced Cooper to 80 hours’ community work.

“Even if the items were in a skip bin, you were not entitled to take them without permission,” she said.