KEY POINTS:
A man took petrol several times from the same Tauranga service station without paying before he was finally caught, a judge was told today.
Ford Wayne Tawhara, 24, unemployed, admitted five charges of theft when he appeared before Judge Thomas Ingram in Tauranga District Court.
He also pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified.
Sergeant Sean Brennan said Tawhara helped himself to petrol costing various sums between $5.75 and $104.81 from a Fifteenth Avenue service station on March 23 and 26 and on April 18 and 22.
On April 28, he took petrol from another station on Cameron Rd, where he was caught driving on the forecourt. It was not his first offence for disqualified driving.
Mr Brennan said Tawhara made no effort to pay for any of the fuel, which was worth a total of $354.55.
Duty solicitor Peter Attwood asked Judge Ingram if he would be dealing with the matter today.
Judge Ingram: "If we are, he is going in (to prison)."
Mr Attwood: "I had better ask for a report then, sir."
Tawhara was remanded on bail until July 21 for a pre-sentence report.
In another case, Joseph James Borell, 19, unemployed, pleaded guilty to stealing fuel vouchers worth $700 on May 31.
Mr Brennan said the teenager had been walking along a road at Te Puna when he approached a letterbox and removed an envelope containing the fuel cards.
Lawyer John Holmes said the cards had not been used and were recovered.
Judge Ingram sentenced Borell to 75 hours community work accumulative on hours he is already serving.
"You turn up and do it with a smile," he advised. "Any trouble and you will be off to Waikeria (Prison)."
- NZPA
