His counsel, Laura Hann, had the job of maintaining him out of jail.
Fraser’s brazen behaviour started in Mitre 10 Te Rapa on August 25, 2022, when he was noticed placing a jelly-belly blueberry air freshener and a common Meguiars automotive wheel brush in his jacket.
He was confronted by safety however maintained his innocence – whereas additionally refusing handy again the merchandise or unzip his jacket.
He walked out with the gadgets, which totalled $29.98, and when spoken to by police stated, “No, you’ve received the unsuitable man”.
By the tip of October he was over in Tauranga and went to the Bethlehem Woolworths with a feminine affiliate.
He went via the shop filling up his trolley with bottles of wine, meat and different grocery gadgets, totalling $1325.80, earlier than the pair headed to the checkout.
The buddy tried to distract employees as Fraser tried a number of instances to exit the self-serve aisle earlier than transferring to an unmanned aisle and strolling out.
Nevertheless, he was challenged by employees and the pair left empty-handed.
About 1pm on November 14, Fraser walked into the McDonald’s Hamilton East and picked up baggage of meals, value $100, for an Uber Eats supply earlier than fleeing in his automobile.
On December 31, 2022, he went to Countdown Te Rapa along with his feminine affiliate and once more stuffed a trolley with meat, magnificence, deli and different grocery gadgets value $1429.25 and walked out of the shop.
The groceries had been by no means recovered.
Fraser welcomed in 2023 with one other brazen theft within the Matamata Warehouse on January 1 by strolling in, grabbing a swimming pool that was boxed up, and strolling out.
The pool was value $499 and was by no means recovered.
He returned the subsequent day and stuffed up a trolley with clothes, a 32-inch tv, homewareitems, fragrance and toys and pushed it in direction of the shop exit with out paying.
Nevertheless, this time he was apprehended by retailer safety and the $1549.68 value of things had been recovered.
Fraser went again to Countdown Te Rapa on January 20 and was filling a trolley along with his typical merchandise when he was recognised by retailer safety who known as a notification of his presence over the in-store loudspeaker.
He walked his trolley, with $2736.70 value of things, towards the exit however safety employees had been standing on the door ready for him.
He discarded the trolley and left.
However it was on January 22 that he created essentially the most havoc on the Te Rapa grocery store, filling his trolley earlier than urinating on the stocked cabinets within the well being and wonder aisle.
He even continued to urinate on the cabinets whereas pushing the trolley and whereas different customers stood close by.
When he completed, he continued to load magnificence merchandise into his trolley earlier than heading to the exit, the place he was once more stopped by safety.
He claimed he had paid however hadn’t been given a receipt.
When challenged by safety he turned aggressive and left the shop, abandoning a trolley holding groceries value $2128.70.
Resulting from Fraser urinating everywhere in the cabinets, Woolworths was compelled to destroy all of the affected inventory, inflicting a loss totalling $14,957.70.
When questioned by police he stated, “no remark”.
‘He’s a special man now’
Hann advised Decide Tompkins her consumer was a special man from the one who first stood within the dock when he appeared in courtroom almost 18 months in the past.
She furnished certificates from varied rehabilitative programs he’d accomplished and stated he had a full-time job and had attended two restorative justice conferences.
He was additionally the carer for his son because the boy’s “mom was not within the image”.
Fraser might additionally pay $3900 reparation at $15 per week over the subsequent 5 years, whereas clarifying the whole loss suffered by the varied companies was about $22,000.
Whereas residence detention would ordinarily be anticipated, Hann stated, she urged Decide Tompkins to as a substitute impose a sentence of group detention and supervision to permit him to proceed to work and take care of his son.
Fraser was additionally “genuinely” remorseful and had written the choose a letter that additionally provided an perception into the components that brought on his offending.
“Having regard to all issues I’ve raised, I imagine this can be a case the place the courtroom can step again from residence detention to one thing rather less punitive, given he’s a sole father.”
‘Now not a welcomed buyer’
Decide Tompkins took a place to begin of 19 months’ jail earlier than issuing varied reductions and attending to 12 months’ jail.
Nevertheless, given the work Fraser had carried out on himself, the choose agreed with Hann’s submission and sentenced Fraser to 6 months of group detention and 9 months’ supervision, and ordered him to pay $4000 reparation.
The choose additionally famous a Woolworths spokesman’s “completely comprehensible” feedback that Fraser was “now not a welcomed buyer” and had been trespassed from the 2 affected shops.
Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based mostly in Waikato. She has labored at NZME for 9 years and has been a journalist for 20.
