'Walking crimewave' jailed for three years

A 19-year-old man who tricked Red Cross workers to get free accommodation for himself and friends at a hotel during the three-day gunman siege in Napier was yesterday described as a "walking crimewave".

In Napier District Court, Judge Geoff Rea sentenced Raniera Harris, 19, to a total of three years' jail on 14 charges, including trespass, possession of a knife in public, taking motor vehicles, six burglary charges and two of obtaining credit by fraud.

Harris earlier pleaded guilty to all charges.

Judge Rea said he could not recall anyone of Harris's age who had such an extensive criminal record.

Since January last year, Harris had accumulated 43 convictions, and had been in prison on six occasions.

He had 39 convictions for dishonesty alone.

"You are a one-man crimewave. You are clever, calculating and are making crime your life," Judge Rea told him.

"Every opportunity you get to rip off your fellow citizens you take it."

The court was told Harris walked into the County Hotel in Napier on April 30 this year, and stole alcohol from the kitchen.

He hid the liquor in a rubbish bin then returned and took more, which he also hid, retrieving it later.

Harris twice burgled a transport company, on one occasion taking two cartons of vodka from a pallet.

He took two cellphones from an unlocked house, and unlawfully took two vehicles.

During the Napier siege of gunman Jan Molenaar, Harris and a friend overheard people talking about accommodation being offered to evacuees at a Napier hotel.

They registered as evacuees with the Red Cross, giving a false address, and were given a room.

"Both of you had no need to be relocated but you saw a very good opportunity of getting into the property and going on a stealing spree while you were there," Judge Rea said.