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Logan Anaru, 43, was taken into custody in January only after his evasion attempts ended with him crashing a stolen car into a tree, causing extensive damage.
The South Auckland resident has been sentenced this week in the Pukekohe District Court, where Judge Nick Webby noted a criminal history that included convictions for aggravated robbery and four previous burglaries.
But the judge also noted a long history of mental health issues.
“You stopped taking your medication and you went back on the meth,” the judge said of the most recent offending, acknowledging the defendant’s explanation that he becomes a completely different person when off of his medication.
Night-shift staff at a Barry’s Point Rd Woolworths store in Takapuna retreated into a locked back room around 1.35am on January 12 when a group of balaclava-clad offenders forced their way through the sliding front doors of the closed supermarket, police said earlier this year.
Of the group, Anaru was the only adult. Three teens aged 14, 15 and 17 accompanied him, authorities alleged.
Once inside the store, the group pilfered coins, tills, a tray of icecream and $1400 worth of gift cards before leaving in the same stolen Toyota Wish they arrived in, the judge recounted during today’s hearing.
As Anaru was leaving the carpark with the loot, an unmarked police car arrived. The officer had to take evasive action as Anaru reversed towards the vehicle before driving off, according to the agreed summary of facts for his case.
A pursuit ensued and Anaru entered State Highway 1, ignoring flashing red and blue lights and reaching speeds of up to 150km/h as he travelled southbound over the Harbour Bridge, where the limit is 80km/h, court documents state. He exited the motorway in suburb Herne Bay but continued to speed – travelling on the wrong side of the road and turning off his headlights as he drove down College Hill near police headquarters and on through the city centre.
Logan Anaru, 43, has been sentenced in Pukekohe District Court for the burglary of a Takapuna Woolworths store earlier this year followed by a dangerous attempt to evade police that ended with his stolen car hitting a tree. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Police had abandoned the pursuit due to public safety concerns but continued to monitor the situation via helicopter as Anaru briefly stopped to let out two associates then continued to drive dangerously towards Newmarket.
“The defendant Anaru drove through Newmarket at speed and when he reached the intersection of Great South Rd and Atarangi Rd, Greenlane, the defendant Anaru lost control of the Toyota Wish and crashed into a tree, causing extensive damage,” court documents state.
“The defendant Anaru exited the Toyota Wish and attempted to run away, however, gave himself up to police who arrived a short time later.”
Anaru later pleaded guilty to burglary, which is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment, as well as less serious charges of unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.
During this week’s sentencing hearing, defence lawyer Isaac Koya asked for a sentence of intensive supervision for his client. Anaru was on supervision already and doing well until the current offence, he said.
Logan Anaru was among a group of balaclava-clad offenders who forced their way into a Takapuna Woolworths supermarket in January. Photo / Hayden Woodward
“He has for the past year or so, apart from this one incident, done his best to improve himself,” Koya said, explaining his client had apologised and promised not to do it again.
The police prosecutor, however, described the offence as a “fairly aggressive” and “significant nighttime burglary” in which Anaru’s willingness to utilise young people was a concern.
Judge Webby agreed with the prosecution that supervision wouldn’t meet the sentencing principles of deterrence and denunciation.
He ordered a starting point of two years and seven months’ imprisonment, which took into account a four-month uplift for his prior convictions. He then applied reductions for Anaru’s guilty pleas, his background of mental health and drug addiction issues and for the time he spent on electronically monitored bail, coming up with an end sentence of 10 months’ home detention and 13 months’ disqualification from driving.
The judge urged Anaru to remain steadfast in the taking of his medication to avoid the cycle starting again.
Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.
