Guilty pleas to theft charges | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

The price of a can of drink or two leapt dramatically for two teenagers who in Napier District Court yesterday admitted smashing their way into a vending machine and stealing some of the contents.

The two have been ordered to pay reparation to help cover the cost of repairs, totaling almost $6000, with police expected to seek the rest from an accomplice who was yesterday remanded without bail to appear in court again next week.

Nicholas David Ferguson, 18, of Flaxmere, was involved in both of the incidents, on August 14 and 22, and was sentenced to 100 hours' community work and ordered to make reparation of $2223, after pleading guilty to two charges of theft, and an unrelated charge of stealing an X-box games console and games from the home of a friend.

Matthew Kevin O'Sullivan, of Taradale, pleaded guilty to one charge of theft relating to the August 22 incident at the EIT and was sentenced to 60 hours' community work and ordered to pay $1110. Alleged third offender Dylan Zachan, 17, of Greenmeadows, faces two charges of theft from the machine.

Police prosecutor Sergeant John Ashfield said the offenders arrived with tools and broke into the machines in the middle of the night, and on each occasion took drinks and cash worth about $165.

Judge Geoff Rea told Ferguson that while he had no previous convictions, the nature of the thefts, including the "particularly mean" theft from a friend, meant diversion to avoid conviction was not an option.