KEY POINTS:
A pregnant 28-year-old woman has been jailed for four years for her part in an aggravated burglary at Te Puke.
Romona Zelda Thomas, 28, unemployed, appeared for sentence before Judge Peter Rollo in Tauranga District Court today.
Two co-offenders, also young Te Puke women, are still on the run. The trio had armed themselves with large kitchen knives and used bandanna-type scarves for disguise when they broke into a house at 1am early last December.
Crown prosecutor Elaine Tan told the court they had gone to the home of a man they knew, intending to scare him because they believed he had had sex with a 16-year-old associate of theirs. They wanted to ensure he did not see the girl again.
Thomas's lawyer, Craig Tuck, said the defendant had since been feeling guilt, shock and remorse. She had now come to a "sharp realisation" about the company she had been keeping.
He submitted that the offending had "an air of stupidity and recklessness rather than sinister motives." "It was a group thing that had foolishly got out of hand and went into meltdown mode."
The court heard Thomas and one of the other women had burgled the same house when there was no-one home about 2pm a week earlier. They took $1700 worth of goods which were given to an associate to "fence."
This time, while Thomas and one co-offender were stealing property valued at $3600, the third offender placed the blade of a knife on the neck of the victim who was asleep on the lounge couch. He awoke, grabbed the blade, disarmed his attacker after a struggle and held her by the ankle.
On hearing the commotion, Thomas's other associate turned on the light and removed the bandanna from her face. The victim realised he knew the three women.
"Light's on, game's off and everyone disperses," said Mr Tuck.
"It was not really a sinister, brutal attack."
Had it not been so serious, there were almost elements of "Monty Python," he said.
The offending had been out of character for Thomas, who had "fairly serious" health problems and was at low risk of re-offending.
Judge Rollo said the incident was home invasion. Thomas had no prior violent offences and this would be her first term of imprisonment.
He imposed a six-month concurrent jail term for the earlier burglary
- NZPA
