Burglar targeted home twice 'to pay for child's headstone'

A recidivist burglar says he broke into a rural Hamilton home twice in five weeks because he needed to pay for his child’s headstone.

Haami William Te Hore stole $15,000 worth of expensive electronics and clothing in both burglaries of the Te Kowhai home, inflicting a significant emotional toll on the victims because of the violation of their safe space.

Te Hore appeared for sentencing in the Hamilton District Court on two burglary charges, pleading with Judge Kim Saunders for more discounts after earlier accepting a sentence indication.

But the judge needed some convincing.

Disabled power, removed CCTV

Te Hore first targeted the home on November 21, 2025, after clambering through a window some time between 9am and 6.30pm.

He stole various items, including expensive electronics and clothing, worth around $10,000.

He went back on December 30, at 5.10am, entering through the same window and stealing similar items worth $5000.

Te Hore spent an hour inside the house, and while he was there, he disabled the power and removed the CCTV cameras.

When spoken to by police, he admitted doing the first burglary but not the second.

Some of the victims’ property was found at Te Hore’s address, but some remained outstanding.

‘He’s got money, he just can’t access it’

In March, Te Hore accepted a sentence indication of 30 months in jail, with 20% in discounts.

His counsel, Ashleigh Beech, said the sentencing was about what further credits her client was entitled to.

Judge Saunders asked Beech if Te Hore had the money for a lump-sum payment in reparation.

Beech said her client did have $2500 in his bank account, but he was unable to access it because it had been frozen after Te Hore tried to access it while he was in prison.

Asked if it could be unfrozen, Beech said her client would have to front up to the bank, and that wouldn’t be happening any time soon with him in custody.

“In custody, that’s an impossible task,” Beech said.

She said Te Hore was remorseful, and had written a letter of apology.

“I think defendants need to learn that writing a letter does not mean a discount,” the judge told her.

Beech said her client was also keen to attend restorative justice, but that was declined by the victim.

“Do you get credit because you say you want to go to restorative justice?” the judge asked.

“Not discretely,” Beech replied.

“You cannot, for one minute, lay that at the feet of someone who was subject to being burgled on two occasions,” the judge told her.

Beech accepted that, but said Te Hore could pay some reparation and had shown insight.

Beech eventually approached Te Hore, who said he couldn’t get the money because he needed to present himself to the bank with some photo identification.

Asked how he got the money, Beech said her client was paid a lump sum.

As for the offending itself, Beech said that at the time Te Hore had a debt hanging over him for the headstone of his 3-month-old child, who died in 2024.

The headstone wasn’t going to be released to the family until the bill was paid, and it was incurring monthly late-penalty fees.

“While not excusing the offending, that is the explanation behind it,” she said.

She also asked for leave to apply for home detention if a suitable property became available.

‘The violation of their space has been overwhelming’
Judge Saunders said that for the victims, notwithstanding the “significant” financial loss, “the biggest impact ... has been an emotional one”.

“The violation of their safe space has been overwhelming, and no one feels safe living there any more.”

She told Te Hore that he was “someone who is not shy about committing burglaries”.

His first was in 2006, for which he was jailed, before he carried out an aggravated robbery in 2009, and another burglary in 2022.

As for the $2500, Judge Saunders said there was no evidence that the money was in the account and he couldn’t access it.

And regarding the extra discounts, she acknowledged his background and remorse with a further one month.

She jailed Te Hore for 23 months and granted him leave to apply for home detention.

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.