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A man claimed he was forced to carry out ramraids on two Christchurch business premises after being threatened, a court was told today.
In Christchurch District Court 26-year-old William Taukamo was remanded in custody awaiting sentence after admitting morphine use, reckless driving, and two burglaries - the ram raids.
He told police he took a car and did the ramraids because an associate had threatened him with violence.
The court was told when found with drug equipment in a car in March, Taukamo admitted he sometimes had to inject himself with morphine. His licence had been suspended for getting too many demerit points.
On June 17 he broke into a Suzuki Baleno parked in a Christchurch street and drove it away using the keys that had been left on the console.
He used the car for an unsuccessful ramraid on a supermarket in Woolston, and another raid soon after on a service station in Linwood where he did extensive damage.
He was caught the next day after a police chase.
- NZPA
