Bach owner finds stranger in kitchen

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The owner of a remote bach on the South Wairarapa coast came home to find a man she didn't know cooking food in her kitchen, the Masterton District Court was told.

Ashley Jordan Taylor, 29, and Samantha Jayne Malton, 24, were both sentenced yesterday for burglary, after breaking into a Cape Palliser bach and staying overnight there and cooking food from the property.

The victim "returned home to find you in the kitchen cooking food" Judge Barbara Morris told Taylor.

Taylor's lawyer, Susie Barnes, said it was "not an offence driven by financial gain", but they had been "seeking a place to eat and shelter".

However, Judge Morris said someone had broken a padlock to gain entry and "rummaged through drawers and bedrooms" in the bach.

She said the area was remote and had a "number of holiday homes there" with no people around.

The judge sentenced Taylor to four months community detention for the burglary, and 12 months of supervision including alcohol and drug counselling. He was ordered to pay $354 in reparation.

Taylor had also pleaded guilty to drink-driving, being a third or subsequent offence, with a level of 602mcg. For this he was disqualified from driving for one year and a day.

Judge Morris sentenced Malton to 200 hours community work.

Community detention was not an option for Malton because the property was not suitable for electronic monitoring, but she was also facing sentence for breaching community work.

The judge said that a prison term was "the only other option" if Malton failed to carry out her community work sentence.