Dannevirke: Youth in court over Anzac cross destruction

White crosses appear at the Dannevirke Domain on Anzac Day, but this year a number were damaged.Photo / File

A youth who destroyed a number of white crosses that had been placed in the Dannevirke Domain for Anzac Day appeared in court on Friday.

Appearing in Dannevirke District Court was Jahrome Madden, 18, who was accused of ripping around six crosses from the ground and breaking them two days after Anzac Day.

The crosses represented the 240 Dannevirke servicemen and women who lost their lives in the service of their country.

Madden faced charges of wilful damage, disorderly behaviour and using threatening language. He pleaded guilty to all charges.

At an earlier court appearance Madden had been offered diversion, but this had not been completed.

Counsel Leo Laferty said one of the aggravating features of the offending was the deeper wounds the damage to the crosses inflicted because of what they signify.

He said Madden was going to be leaving Dannevirke and moving to the Hutt Valley where he would be living with and working for his uncle as a scaffolder.

"Jahrome has been shearing since he left school and this is not the most positive influence on a young man.

"It seems that if he was out of the environment he is currently in it would be good for this young man."

Prosecutor Josh Harvey asked the court if a sentence of community work could be imposed as a means of Madden giving something back to a community he had taken from.

Judge Jim Large, in outlining the summary of facts, said Madden had been drinking.

"In the middle of the night you got into an argument with your mother and went into the domain and pulled out some crosses, broke them and threw them around."

He said police arrived and Madden became aggressive, threatening to shoot the police officer in the head.

In sentencing Madden Judge Large rejected the request for a sentence of community work.

"I don't want you to do community work, I want you to stay out of court in future."

Madden was ordered to pay $150, the cost of repairing the damaged crosses, and $250 to the Dannevirke RSA for emotional harm.

He was convicted on all three charges and ordered to come up for sentence in the next nine months if called upon.

"If you keep your nose clean and keep out of trouble this will go away."