'Hardened criminal,' 20, jailed

A Masterton man sentenced to 16 months' jail yesterday was described by Judge Stephen Harrop as being "a relatively hardened criminal" despite being only 20 years old.

Nathaniel Graham Bourchier appeared for sentence in Masterton District Court on charges of burglary, fraudulently using an Eftpos card and intimidation.

His counsel, Frank Minehan, told the judge that Bourchier realised and accepted he would be jailed but asked for the sentence to be "short and sharp" and for alcohol and drug counselling to be a condition of his release.

"I really hope the court can help him as well as punish him today," Mr Minehan said.

Summarising the offences Judge Harrop said Bourchier, while living in Nelson, had looked through records held by his landlord and had got hold of the man's Eftpos card and pin number.

He had then used them to make eight withdrawals of $100 from the landlord's bank account, money that had not been recovered.

On June 10 Bourchier and a co-offender had gone to a semi-rural Masterton property and, having determined nobody was home, forced the back door, entering the house and stealing a laptop.

They then took weights from a garage and loaded these onto a motorbike but could not start the bike and left, taking only the laptop with them.

Judge Harrop said the effect of the burglary had brought great psychological distress to the victim's family who had lost trust and feared he would return.

He ordered Bourchier to pay $100 reparation to the burglary victims, being his half of the insurance excess.

Judge Harrop said the Nelson landlord was in poor health and the loss of the $800 had brought hardship to him.

He also said that Bourchier had promised to repay his former landlord but had failed to do so.

"You think even though you have not worked for assets you can just take them.

"That is not acceptable in our society.

"You have a serious dishonesty record and are a relatively hardened criminal, I regret to say, even though you are only 20," Judge Harrop said.

Bourchier was ordered to repay the $800.

Judge Harrop said the intimidation charge was of a relatively minor nature "although I am sure it was not so for the victim."

Bourchier will undergo alcohol and drug assessments on his release from prison.