Teenager jailed for ramraids

The last known member of a gang that used stolen cars to smash into businesses and steal goods has been jailed.

Mitchell Paris Teriini, 18, of Kawerau, was sentenced to two and a half years' jail by Judge Russell Callander in Tauranga District Court this week for his part in four ramraids -- two in Whakatane and two in Cambridge.

He was also sentenced for unlawfully getting into a car and stealing from a car, and two charges of stealing a car.

Police discovered that a string of "ramraids" of car accessory stores and electronic goods shops in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato from January last year were related.

The group would use one stolen car to ramraid the entrance, wrecking the vehicle and damaging the building. The other car would be loaded with car stereo equipment, PlayStations, digital cameras, cellphones and plasma televisions.

A total of $97,724 in damage was caused to the four businesses and $202,087 worth of property stolen.

Nine cars suffered $40,000 in damage.

Teriini's lawyer, Tony Balme, said his client got involved with the wrong crowd.

Crown prosecutor Rob Ronayne described the offending as "organised, professional crime for profit -- nothing less".

Judge Callander said Teriini had to change his attitude towards offending while he was young. He declined Teriini home detention.

Two older members of the group, Hemi Patariki Walker, 27, and Graham Marx, 24, were sentenced to six years' jail with a minimum non-parole of three years in October last year. A 16-year-old member of the group was dealt with in the Youth Court.

- NZPA