Christchurch earthquake burglar sentenced

A number of residents were accused of using the Christchurch earthquake devastation as an opportunity to burgle empty or damaged shops and homes. Photo / Herald on Sunday

A man who admitted committing two burglaries in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake was sentenced to a term of community work.

The day after the September 4 quake, Timothy Brian Hurst, 28, and a co-offender tried to enter a house on Edgeware Road by jemmying open a window, smashing the glass, Christchurch District Court was told today.

In Barbadoes Street a short time later they attempted to enter the On The Spot Dairy by removing sheets of corrugated iron. They were interrupted by a police officer and were arrested at the scene.

"The serious aggravating factor is the offence being in the aftermath of the earthquake but the burglaries themselves were at the bottom end of the scale," defence lawyer Lee-Lee Heah said.

She added that Hurst suffered from serious mental illness requiring a high level of support from social services which had not been available at the time the offence occurred. She also said he was "under the influence of the co-offender, who had the backpack of tools".

Judge Phillip Moran said people who took advantage of earthquake victims deserved no sympathy. "However, you are not a well man and were led along in your offending."

Judge Moran also took Hurst's willingness to pay reparation costs into account.

Hurst was sentenced to 100 hours' community work and ordered to pay $100 reparation.

- NZPA