Brazen burglar jailed after pushing 4-year-old to steal wallet

Jeremy McGregor, 36, was sentenced to 2 years' jail after breaking into a Hamilton home and stealing a man's wallet in broad daylight.

A brazen burglar pushed a 4-year-old girl out of his way so that he could steal her father's wallet and go on a spending spree.

Jeremy Ahitahu McGregor's offending was described as "disturbing" by Judge Robert Spear in the Hamilton District Court today before sending him to jail for two years and refused to grant him leave to apply for home detention.

McGregor, 36, knocked on the front door of a Heaphy Tce, Hamilton, home which was answered by the young girl.

The court heard how upon seeing her, McGregor pushed her out of the way, walked inside and stole her dad's wallet.

He went on to use the victim's Paywave card seven times over the next 24 hours clocking up $333.62

Sentencing McGregor on seven charges of using a document and one charge of burglary, Judge Spear was shocked at his brazen behaviour.

"You are 36 years of age and a person who is no stranger to the courts ... this is disturbing offending because you felt prepared to push this young girl out of the way in what was one of the most blatant burglaries that I have heard for some time.

"Broad daylight, going to a home, knocking on the door, seeing that it was a young girl there, pushing her out of the way so you could go in and steal whatever you could to generate some cash."

A pre-sentence report described McGregor as being at a "reasonably high risk of reoffending".

McGregor had expressed remorse for pushing the child but the judge wasn't convinced.

"That's easy to say at this stage. What concerns me is that you were prepared to do so in broad daylight at this young girl's home.

"I do not have a victim impact report, and I do not know why that is, but I do expect that young girl will have been troubled at the very least by this violent confrontation with you."

McGregor has previous convictions for burglary and dishonesty but most were for violence offending, he said.