Children spent holidays on $60,000 crime spree

Three adults took four children and the family dog along on a crime spree in the Wellington region.

Christchurch District Court heard yesterday that the spree took in 118 charges of unlawfully taking cars, or breaking into them and stealing property, and dishonestly using the credit cards they found.

The trio were eventually arrested at a motel on the Kapiti Coast. Police sought $60,000 reparation for the months of offending.

Before the court was Michael James Cyril Duxfield, 24, unemployed, who was recently picked up in Christchurch after absconding while on bail in the Wellington area.

He pleaded guilty to all 118 charges, plus a breach of release conditions for a prison term he was released from in December.

The court was told Duxfield was living with two relatives - an unemployed 35-year-old man, and the man's 33-year-old partner, who is a mother of four - in Levin when the offending began.

After they left Levin they adopted a nomadic lifestyle, using motels, camping grounds, changing cars often and living on the proceeds of their offending.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Mark Berryman said: "Over the school holidays, four children aged 3 to 10, and a dog, accompanied their parents, two of the offenders. The children were present with their mother when the group was apprehended."

The group would identify vulnerable carparks at beaches and bush walks, and carparking precincts in the Wellington region.

They would then go back to these spots over the weekend when they attracted more members of the public.

"The defendants would often be present in a carpark watching as the victims arrived. This gave them the maximum time to steal items while the victims were away from their vehicles."

The woman in the trio would practise doing signatures so that credit cards they stole could be used quickly before they were reported stolen or stopped by their banks.

Stolen goods were either sold or kept for their own use.

Mr Berryman said a significant amount of stolen property was found on February 9 when the trio's motel was searched by the police. Duxfield and his male relative refused to say anything when interviewed, but the woman was more co-operative.

Judge Stephen Erber remanded Duxfield in custody to a crown sentencing session on November 16.

He called for a probation report and a reparation report.

- NZPA