Sentencing postponed on petrol thief's other charges

AWAITING SENTENCE: Christopher James Smith tries to hide his face in the dock.

Sentencing has been adjourned for a 26-year-old former farm worker who stole petrol worth more than $1000 from a South Wairarapa farm.

When Christopher James Smith appeared before Judge Chris Touhy in Masterton District Court on Monday his lawyer Jock Blathwayt asked for sentencing to be postponed to allow time to check out possible addresses for a community-based sentence.

Smith had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing petrol in November along with charges of assault and damaging a pot plant.

He appeared in court wearing prison clothing and refused to allow a Times-Age photographer to take his photograph even though the application to do so had been pre-approved by a judge.

Smith stole 500 litres of petrol from the farmer on September 14.

In November, he was sentenced to three months' community detention for stealing 40 litres of diesel from a Pirinoa farmer.

In that case Smith was caught red-handed by the farmer after he triggered a security alarm.

He was nabbed 100m away with two 20-litre containers full of diesel in the back of his ute.

He was apprehended at a time when police and Federated Farmers were warning farmers about the dangers of tackling thieves, and thieves about the risks they were taking by going on to farms in the dead of night and possibly being chased off.

Farmers were warned of the dangers of tackling thieves who could have arrived on farm with weapons. Thieves were warned of the consequences of sneaking on to farms in darkness and the dangers that posed.

Agricultural workers require fuel to run properties and many farmers now have security measures in place to guard their property, including extra security, CCTV monitoring and the addition of locks to pumps to deter thieves.

Meanwhile, Judge Touhy remanded Smith in custody to reappear on February 2 for sentencing.