Prison for recidivist offender

JAIL: Trent Purvis was sentenced to four months in prison.

A man with a multitude of dishonesty convictions has been sent back to prison.

Trent David Purvis, 23, appeared in Masterton District Court earlier this week for sentencing on charges of burglary, causing loss by deception and receiving property.

On June 12, Purvis stayed at a motel, pretended to have money to pay and then did a runner the next day, causing the motel a loss of $79.

On July 1, he stole three laptops and a GPS unit from someone's home, the items were worth almost $5000.

On the same day, Purvis was also found in possession of a stolen cellphone and an iPod, which had been stolen from a vehicle parked in a driveway. These items were worth $350.

Defence lawyer James Elliot said Purvis, since being in prison for other offences, had made an effort to dissociate himself from various groups of people and substances that had had a bad influence on him in the past.

He said Purvis had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Judge Chris Tuohy said Purvis had a "multitude of convictions for, particularly, dishonesty offending and several sentences of imprisonment".

Judge Tuohy said a pre-sentence report showed alcohol and drug abuse caused Purvis to lose his job and he then began stealing from others to survive.

He sentenced him to four months in prison and made an order for reparations.