A shoplifting spree involving an inflatable spa, piles of meat and a sex toy ended when a trolley of stolen goods got jammed on a speed bump outside Bunnings.
The failed getaway landed Creedence Haden Brell, 41, in the Hamilton District Court.
Brell and a partner spent months moving through Waikato stores, filling trolleys and bags with goods from supermarkets, pharmacies and hardware stores, then walking out without paying.
On some trips, they allegedly paid for a single small item before leaving with the rest.
The haul included groceries, meat, household items and pharmacy products.
Among the more unusual items stolen was a sex toy worth about $80.
The most dramatic attempt came at Bunnings.
Brell and his partner allegedly loaded a trolley with more than $1600 worth of goods, including an inflatable spa, and tried to leave.
Outside the store, the overloaded trolley caught on a speed bump and stopped dead.
Staff approached and asked for a receipt.
Brell allegedly asked for a quote.
The spa was abandoned on the spot.
Judge Tony Couch said the offending was made worse because Brell was already serving a sentence during part of the spree and on bail for other offending at the time.
He was sentenced to 13 months’ imprisonment, which was reduced to six months and 14 days of home detention.
He will serve the sentence at a Rotorua address where he has secured work.
He was also ordered to pay reparation to affected retailers.
The spa never moved again.
The Paper 