After walking around trying a few pairs on, he went to the most expensive rack and grabbed handfuls, including Prada and Tiffany & Co, before fleeing.
That was worth $4910. The second time he shoved $3876 worth into his hoodie pocket.
But not all of his offences occurred without violence.
On March 19, just before 2pm, he walked into Thirsty Liquor in Claudelands.
He went straight to the chiller, grabbed five boxes of Cody’s - worth $40 each - and walked out without paying.
The shop owner followed him out, urging him to go back inside and pay for them, but Toimata simply put the booze on the tray of his ute, turned around and kicked him in the shins.
He then struck him in the stomach, punched him in the face, before telling him to “go back inside”.
‘Divorced from reality’
A more sober Toimata was in court today facing up to what he’d done.
Wilkins told the judge the sentence would be imprisonment; it was just a matter of how long for.
He explained that his client was “very divorced from reality” at the time of offending.
“Frankly, it’s a situation we are seeing all too often ... Mr Toimata has fallen into substance use of various kinds to the extent ..he seemed very divorced from reality and had to be engaged with fairly extensively by forensics.”
However, Toimata had since done the 180-degree turn that he needed.
“It appears that Mr Toimata has come all the way back around now, he’s back to being orientated in the right time and place and making rational statements.”
Toimata was keen to pay reparation, but Judge McDonald said as it would be “drip-fed” it would only re-victimise his victims.
‘Perfume, food, booze, clothes, and sunglasses’
Toimata’s offending didn’t go on for very long, a few months, but it packed a punch.
It began at the end of March last year when he went into Farmers, grabbed four bottles of perfume - worth a total $724 - and walked out.
Two weeks later, down in Palmerston North, he got some food and drinks at BP Pioneer and left.
He then carried out his booze and sunglasses thievery before targeting Rebel Sport, at The Base shopping centre.
He was spotted by security straight away and told to leave but he ignored them before grabbing an armful of clothing, worth $864, and fleeing.
‘You are a thief’
“All of those thefts have been described as shoplifting,” the judge said, “which really downplays the seriousness of it”.
He also noted that Toimata didn’t want four bottles of perfume or a dozen pairs of sunglasses; he wanted them to sell on.
“You wouldn’t have wanted all of those pairs of sunglasses for yourself.
“People are generally well down on their luck and steal a little from a supermarket to put food on the table.
“You are stealing to sell on and get money.”
Judge McDonald noted his unfavourable pre-sentence report which listed his 33 previous convictions, for violence, dishonesty and failing to comply with orders.
“You are assessed at a high risk of reoffending.
“The report says unless you do something about your addiction you will just continue offending and continue to be sent to jail, just continue to be a revolving door.
“It says it’s your addiction to drugs and alcohol which cause you to offend in the ways that you do.”
He jailed Toimata for 21 months.
Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 10 years and has been a journalist for 20.
