A man who left a ‘roll your own’ cigarette at a crime scene has been sentenced over the $5000 theft.
Robert Tutaki Kemp appeared at the New Plymouth District Court on Wednesday where he received home detention for the robbery of a Bell Block residence on New Zealand’s west coast in September.
The 36-year-old stole more than $5000 in property after smashing through a window to get into the home, according to Stuff.
Robert Tutaki Kemp (pictured) appeared at the New Plymouth District Court on Wednesday
He ransacked each room of the house, throwing items from drawers and cupboards to gather his loot.
After the unsmoked cigarette was forensically analysed and found to have his DNA on it, he was arrested.
At the time of his offence a number of other houses in the same area had been targeted by thieves, prompting police to issue a warning to the neighbourhood.
Judge Chris Sygrove described Kemp as a ‘recidivist burglar who had pages of criminal charges’.
Police clearly have their suspicions of your involvement with burglaries in the Bell Block area.’
The summary of facts referenced a number of similarly styled robberies and insinuated police suspect they were committed by the same person.
The 36-year-old stole over $5000 in property after smashing through a window
‘One crucial aspect is that in many of these burglaries the burglar removes drawers in bedrooms and searches the drawers thoroughly and takes specific items of jewellery,’ it said.
Kemp was sentenced to two years jail however that was transferred to 12 months home detention.
An element of that would be spent at a rehab facility in Auckland, and he was also ordered to pay $200 reparation to the victims to cover insurance excess.
‘I believe that people need an opportunity to rehabilitate themselves,’ Sygrove said.
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