Drug addict told counsellor he was in rehab to get a sentence discount, and he had the best times of his life on drugs

Shawn Robertson was using more than a gram of methamphetamine a day at the height of his addiction but has been drug free for more than a year the Whanganui District Court heard. Photo / NZME

A drug addict told a counsellor at a treatment programme the happiest times of his life were when he was using more than a gram of methamphetamine a day.

Shawn Rauhina Robertson appeared before Judge Ian Carter in the Whanganui District Court on Monday for sentencing on one charge each of offering to supply methamphetamine, offering to sell cannabis, and burglary.

The 22-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to the charges after accepting a sentencing indication.

Crown prosecutor Nandini Turner expressed concerns about Robertson's attitude towards his offending after he told a counsellor at the Salvation Army's Bridge Programme the happiest times of his life were when he was using drugs and he was only there to get a reduction on his sentence.

Robertson was kicked off the programme before its completion and Turner argued the views he expressed showed he remained a risk to the community.

She sought a sentence of one year and eight months' imprisonment as well as an order to pay the victims of the burglary $250 in reparation.

Defence lawyer Elliot Copeland said while Robertson's comments showed a level of immaturity, he had been drug-free for more than a year.

Copeland said Robertson's lifestyle had escalated to a point where he was dealing drugs to support his own habit.

"He was consuming a number of grams of methamphetamine a day."

Copeland said the burglary was thrill-seeking and sought a lengthy sentence of intensive supervision coupled with community detention.

The summaries of facts state Robertson's cellphone was seized by police in April 2021.

Analysis showed he had been actively selling the Class A drug methamphetamine and Class C cannabis between December 2020 and April 2021.

During the time, he offered to sell no less than $17,600 of methamphetamine in various sizes in 39 deals and $4050 of cannabis in different amounts in five deals.

While on bail for the drug offending, on June 18, 2021, Robertson burgled a Whanganui home, smashing open locked internal doors and causing significant damage to the property.

Robertson knew the house was unattended because he had been bailed to the address of his co-defendant who was supposed to be house sitting the victims' home but had also burgled it the night before.

Judge Carter said the burglary had a significant impact on the victims who had lost unique and irreplaceable jewellery in the raids.

He said the couple, in their 60s, had carried out renovations to their home before they felt comfortable living in it again.

They also felt let down by the justice system after Robertson's co-offender only received a sentence of home detention.

Judge Carter noted while Robertson's failure to complete the bridge programme did raise concerns regarding his motivation to pursue rehabilitation, he had received glowing reports on his most recent sentence.

A S27 report showed Robertson had been exposed to alcohol and drugs from an early age, starting drinking aged about 12 and smoking cannabis when aged 11 to 13.

"That drug use escalated in later years, to your late teens and 20, when you became a heavy methamphetamine user."

After giving Robertson discounts for the time spent in custody and on EM bail, Judge Carter arrived at an end sentence of 18 months and two weeks’ imprisonment.

He then converted the sentence to nine months and one week home detention and ordered Robertson to pay $250 reparation to the burglary victims.