Man sentenced over 'explosion of offending'

File photo / NZ Herald

A 19-year-old man who embarked on an "explosion of offending", stealing 37 cars and a firearm over four nights has been sentenced to home detention.

Cody Penson's car-stealing rampage took place in Dunedin last November but ended with his appearance in Westport District Court yesterday.

It was his first offending, but he had started "with a bang", defence lawyer Doug Taffs told the court.

This wasn't Penson's usual behaviour and there was nothing in his background to predict the offending, said Mr Taffs.

After his family left Dunedin he had remained there on his own and fallen in with bad company.

Penson couldn't explain his offending, but had no drug or alcohol problems.

Judge Raoul Neave said he suspected Penson had begun his "explosion of offending" because he found it exciting.

He had "displayed the strength of character of a wet teabag" when it came to standing up to people who had encouraged him to do things he must have known were wrong, said Judge Neave.

He dreaded to think how Penson and his mates might have used the firearm that they stashed if they hadn't been caught.

However, now Penson had moved back with his parents in Westport, Judge Neave said he was treating it as a "one-off, albeit spectacular, fall from grace".

He gave Penson credit for his youth, good character and early guilty plea.

He sentenced him to four months home detention, 200 hours community work and order him to pay $3000 reparation at $10 per week.