Tourist’s terror leads to jail term

A homeless Masterton man with "nothing to lose" was jailed for 18 months yesterday for the armed robbery of a female German tourist.
Terrence McLeod, 21, unemployed, of no fixed abode, had earlier pleaded guilty in Masterton District Court to the attack of young tourist Sandra Weissbart while she was sleeping in her car near the Dixon Street toilets soon after midnight on August 20 last year.
Judge Michael Behrens sentenced McLeod to 18 months jail on a count of aggravated robbery and also ordered him to undertake counselling and assessment programmes as directed.
The court had earlier heard McLeod had approached the car in which Ms Weissbart was sleeping about 12.20am while holding a metal object in his hand.
McLeod had swung the metal object, which was about 30cm long, and shattered a window on the car while yelling "where is your money, give me your digital camera and your backpack", the court was told.
McLeod waved the metal object in the woman's face and she refused to give him her possessions. He then shattered another window in the car, at which point she became "terrified he was going to hurt her" and told him to take her pack.
He took the pack and also removed some pruning gear from the vehicle and ran from the scene.
McLeod was found hiding in the Queen Elizabeth Park duck pond a short time later and told police he "had nothing to lose and was homeless as his family had kicked him out".
Ken Daniels, representing McLeod, said there had been some dispute of an earlier summary of facts as to the object McLeod used in the robbery.
He denied the object was a grease gun, the court heard.
Mr Daniels said McLeod had been in custody since being arrested for the robbery and had spent his 21st birthday in a prison cell.
He said McLeod deeply regretted his actions and "wants to get his life back on track".
Crown prosecutor Gemma Mallett said the attack had been "very scary" for Ms Weissbart and had changed her view of New Zealand as a safe place to visit.