Teen avoids prison after group's 'shameful' spree of smash-and-grabs

A young offender involved in a string of smash-and-grabs at supermarkets, bottle stores and petrol stations has avoided a jail sentence, but only because of his age.

In what was previously described as a spree of “utter mayhem” by Judge Noel Cocurullo, a group of 10 teen burglars stole two cars before smashing their way into six businesses around Hamilton and Te Kauwhata.

They’d turn up to a business, smash their way inside and steal mostly alcohol or tobacco products before moving on to the next target.

Over roughly two hours, Raven Taoho, Hunter Vader Kingi, Peter Nusipepa and Dillinjah Hohepa-Strickland caused more than $20,000 worth of damage to the affected businesses in January last year.

Judge Cocurullo jailed Kingi for three years, Nusipepa for two years and 10 months and Hohepa-Strickland for two years nine months in the Hamilton District Court in February this year.

Today, it was Taoho’s turn to hear his fate before Judge Tini Clark.

However, the Crown conceded that as Taoho was 17 at the time of armed robberies, in which most of the group were disguised and armed, he could only be sentenced in the District Court on the aggravated burglary charge that carried a 14-year maximum prison sentence.

That meant he was convicted and discharged on the remaining five burglary charges and two counts of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, substantially reducing the penalties available to the court.

Even so, defence lawyer Russell Boot accepted an electronically monitored sentence remained available given the seriousness of the offending.

Smash, grab and damage

The “mayhem” began when the group drove to the Save-a-Lot supermarket in Te Kauwhata, in two stolen cars.

Three offenders kicked, forced and squeezed their way through the sliding doors at 1.10am, while Nusipepa smashed the glass door with a tyre iron.

They stole cigarettes and vaping products before driving to the nearby New World.

They smashed the front door off its rails, before running to the staff-only area and leaving with unknown property.

By 2.57am they were outside Thirsty Liquor Hillcrest and tried, unsuccessfully, to smash their way inside.

The store alarms went off and the fog cannon was activated, which sent the offenders fleeing to New World Hillcrest on Cambridge Rd.

Raven Taoho was sentenced in Hamilton District Court.

Taoho forced open the front door, allowing some of the group to enter, while others smashed a glass pane and gained entry that way.

Again they headed to the staff-only area, before fleeing. It was unclear what was stolen.

At 3.05am they drove across the road to Mobil Hillcrest.

Kingi and his co-offenders used various tools, as well as kicking, to smash the glass windows and pry the doors open.

However, the fog cannon was activated and the group fled.

Lastly, the group went to Caltex Hillcrest, which at 3.09am was open with only one attendant.

The 10 offenders got out of their cars, wearing disguises, and ran through the front doors, while Nusipepa stood at the front door holding a screwdriver.

The store attendant feared for his safety, ran to a back room and activated the fog cannon.

Kingi and another offender jumped over the counter and stole cigarettes, while the others stole other items.

After loading a car, they took off at speed on to Cambridge Rd, while a responding police unit spotted the stolen Nissan Juke and pulled in behind it.

The driver accelerated away, reaching speeds of 75km/h in a 50km/h zone, before the car lost a wheel and stopped at the University of Waikato.

The other carload of offenders escaped.

Judge Clark asked Boot what was happening with Taoho at the moment.

He said he wasn’t working or on a course, but was effectively in limbo, as he had “these proceedings hanging over him”.

Given that, he wouldn’t be in a position to pay any reparation.

‘A shameful spree of offending’

At the start of the sentencing process, Judge Clark told Taoho that although he wouldn’t be going to prison, if he breached his sentence at any point, she would have to re-sentence him to something else, indicating jail.

“This is not you being let off the hook by any means,” she told him.

She labelled the offending “a shameful spree ... Where so many premises were damaged, where this group of young people simply helped themselves to whatever it was they decided they wanted.”

Taoho had been on bail since his arrest last year without incident.

“That was on the basis that his risk of further offending of the same kind needed to be managed.”

The judge had read in defence submissions that Taoho was somebody who was “easily led”.

“That may well be so, but I have been provided with no information to suggest to me that once he had been led he did not fully participate in the behaviour that I have just described in the summary of facts,” she said.

“Looking back and regretting involvement is not the same as being unwilling to be involved in the first place.”

After taking a four-year and three-month starting point, she applied discounts of 15% for plea, 30% for youth and 5% each for background and remorse, and landed on an end sentence of 23 months’ imprisonment.

She then converted that to nine months’ home detention, for which he was sentenced, after taking into account his time on bail.

“Don’t be easily led ... make better choices for yourself.

“You’ve got a long future ahead of you,” Judge Clark told him.

Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 11 years and has been a journalist for 22.