Hamilton, New Zealand — A Hamilton man with a long record of dishonesty has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after admitting to a crime spree worth more than $25,000.
Cole Frederick Jenkins, described by the court as a recidivist thief, was convicted on 40 separate charges of burglary and shoplifting, with offending that stretched across Waikato and Auckland.
Judge: “Sentences have done nothing”
At Hamilton District Court, Judge Kim Saunders told Jenkins that years of lenient punishments had failed to stop him.
“You have been stealing for nearly 25 years … sentences in the past have done nothing to deter or rehabilitate you.”
She called the offending “repetitive and planned,” saying Jenkins stole whatever he could get his hands on — from power tools and an e-scooter to sunglasses, groceries and clothes.
How the spree unfolded
- December 2023: Broke into a Morrinsville Stihl store, stealing a battery grinder and a $1500 power pack.
- Same month: Targeted Novus Glass, taking more tools.
- Across August–February:
- Two chainsaws worth $2345 from Stihl.
- Nearly $4000 in sunglasses from Sunglass Hut.
- A $1500 e-scooter from The Warehouse.
- A $1200 vacuum cleaner from Briscoes.
- Clothing, perfume, boots, speakers, a hedge trimmer and over $2000 in groceries.
The court calculated the stolen goods totalled at least $25,000.
A long record of theft
Jenkins’ history of offending dates back to 2001. He already has 50 dishonesty convictions. A cultural report presented at sentencing said he grew up around violence and substance abuse and had spent much of his life in survival mode.
While on remand, he worked as head of painting at Spring Hill Prison and re-established some family connections. But Judge Saunders said she remained unconvinced of real change, giving him only a 5% sentence reduction for rehabilitation efforts.
Because Jenkins had no ability to repay his victims, no reparation order was made.
The bottom line
On 20 September, 2025, the 41-year-old will serve most of his 20-month jail term, with the court warning that future crimes will draw even harsher responses.
The Paper 