Whangārei man Derek Lynn jailed after arson, burglary, stabbing tyres

Whangārei man Derek Lynn has appeared in court on charges relating to the stabbing of multiple vehicle tyres. Photo / File

Armed with a knife Derek Lynn went on a crime spree stabbing the tyres of 46 vehicles parked in residential streets around Whangārei.

The 28-year-old, from Otangarei in Whangārei, also had a penchant for lighting vehicles on fire and breaking into homes.

Lynn's trail of destruction was stopped when police arrested him and a second man, 29-year-old Wesley Ian Hodgkinson, in 2018 but only after a string of victims were left out of pocket and feeling angry and afraid.

Hodgkinson was jailed for seven years and seven months in May last year on a representative charge of intentional damage relating to the damaged tyres, two charges of burglary, nine charges of arson and a charge of arson knowing danger to life was likely to ensue.

Yesterdayit was Lynn's turn to face Judge Keith de Ridder in the Whangārei District Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to charges of driving while disqualified, nine of burglary, four of arson and two of intentional damage relating to 46 vehicles.

He was sentenced to a total of seven years and five months jail.

Derek Lynn jailed for his art in a crime spree that involved stabbing vehicle tyres, lighting fires and breaking into homes. Photo / Supplied

Lawyer Wayne McKean said Lynn suffered mental health issues and from a young age had lived in an environment that was a recipe for mental illness.

"It's a shocking story his story. The number of foster homes he went through and ADHD that was not treated properly," McKean said.

Lynn was also abused while in care.

However, Lynn was remorseful and had expressed that in a letter to the court, had completed courses on remand and had plead guilty avoiding a lengthy trial, all of which contributed to a reduction in his jail time.

For the Crown, Trelise Needham said there was an element of premeditation in relation to the burglaries and involved Lynn driving by the properties to check no one was home.

The Crown also accepted Lynn had mental health issues and that he had a difficult upbringing.

The properties Lynn burgled, some with his partner in crime Hodgkinson, between March and October 2018 were in Whangārei, Tutukaka, One Tree Point and Whangārei Heads.

The amount of property ran into the thousands of dollars with $40,000 of property taken from one property alone.

Lynn trawled through a website for holiday homes working out when they were booked and breaking in when they were not occupied.

In the month of June in 2018 cars parked on streets in Whangārei were targeted with tyres being stabbed. Three vehicles were damaged by fires that were light under the front tyre.
One of the fires light by Lynn destroyed 150metres of shelterbelt at a Maungatapere property.

Lynn had nine previous convictions for burglary and a raft of dishonesty convictions going back as far as youth court.

Judge de Ridder did not read out the 68 victim impact reports to the court but summarised the sentiment saying: "People expressed anger at their privacy being invaded and stress knowing someone had been in their property."

He said reparation for victims was out of the question given Lynn's personal circumstances and the length of jail time.