Inmate held for fraud, burglary

Trent David Purvis, 23, pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property, burglary and causing loss by deception.

A man already serving a jail term for burglary and with 12 previous burglary convictions has admitted to a further burglary and ripping off a Wairarapa motel owner.

Trent David Purvis, 23, who was sentenced to six months' imprisonment on August 20 and who is due for release soon, pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property, burglary and causing loss by deception when he appeared before Judge Jill Moss in Masterton District Court.

Police prosecutor Garry Wilson told the court, Purvis, of Palmerston North, arrived in Masterton on June 12 with a friend and booked into the Colonial Cottage Motel telling the manager he would pay for the room in the morning when his money went into the bank, handing over his Eftpos card and two cellphone numbers along with receipts proving who he was.

About 11am the next day, the manager knocked on the door of the unit Purvis was staying in, telling him he needed to pay, Mr Wilson said.

An hour later, the manager's daughter used a master key to enter the room where she found the television blaring and the shower running with the bathroom window wide open.

"He did a runner because he had no money," he told the court.

Then on July 1, Purvis and a friend entered a Masterton home stealing $4815.38 worth of property including three laptop computers and a Traqmate Racing Data Recording unit, Mr Wilson said.

About a week later on July 8 or 9, Purvis received a Nokia cellphone, Ipod, handbag and purse valued at $850, "knowing the property had been stolen," the court heard.

He took the cellphone to Telecom questioning why it wasn't working but staff discovered it had been stolen.

Surveillance footage showed Purvis was the person who had presented the specialised cellphone to the store.

"In explanation Purvis said there was a 50 per cent chance he broke into the car," Mr Wilson said.

Defence lawyer James Elliott told the court Purvis had been going through a difficult time when the offending occurred.

The lawyer explained the offending occurred before Purvis was sentenced to six months' imprisonment on August 20 and he would have likely been sentenced to a concurrent term had the charges been laid prior to him being jailed.

However, Judge Moss noted Purvis had 12 previous burglary convictions and was on the "cusp" of a longer sentence.

She remanded Purvis in custody for a pre-sentence report and sentencing on November 28.