Dairy robber sent to prison

The Daffodil Dairy was robbed on June 17.

A dairy robber's excuse he had no memory of his wrongdoing because he was drunk did not wash with a Whangarei judge.

Kahia Tau, 32, earlier pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and appeared for sentencing in Whangarei District Court for sentencing on Friday.

Judge Duncan Harvey sentenced him to three years in prison for robbing the Daffodil Dairy on Maunu Rd of $270 cash after threatening the store owner with a hammer. The judge rejected Tau's claim to a probation officer he had no memory of the aggravated robbery as he was drunk.

Kahia Tau, captured on CCTV soon after he entered the dairy.

Tau entered and left the dairy twice before he plucked the courage to rob the owner, Judge Harvey said.

Tau entered the dairy about 6.55pm on June 17 but left after spending less than 30 seconds inside.

A short time later, he re-entered carrying a plastic bag and placed a carton of juice on the counter. Tau then told the dairy owner he had to get his wallet and left the store. Within a minute, he came back and handed the victim a $5 note.

He was given $1.50 change which he used to purchase a bag of confectionary worth $1.

Tau then reached into the plastic bag and pulled a hammer. He lifted the weapon up to the height of his head and said to the dairy owner: "Give me all the money."

The victim attempted to push his hand away but Tau switched the hammer to his left hand and pulled the till towards him. He opened the till and removed $270 in notes before running away.

Crown prosecutor Jarred Scott said the offending was premeditated and a hammer was used to threaten the dairy owner. He said the dairy owner's wife was receiving counselling and the business has had to incur an additional cost of having two staff on duty after the robbery.

A sentence of home detention, he submitted, was inappropriate.

Tau's lawyer Arthur Fairley said home detention was never and could not be advanced. He highlighted Tau's early guilty plea and remorse and an apology letter he wrote to his victim. Mr Fairley said Tau was at a medium risk of re-offending and had a strong and positive relationship with his whanau.

Judge Harvey fixed a starting point of four years before reducing it by one year for mitigating circumstances, including the early guilty plea.