The 18-year-old hit Craft Haus first, using a crowbar to smash his way inside through the front door at 12.51am, stealing a safe, till and miscellaneous items.<\/p>\n
He then struck Coastal Kitchen, Saskia and Co, Paradise Coast Barbers, Boho Chic and Table Talk, all using his crowbar and stealing tills and small items before fleeing.<\/p>\n
He then stopped at \u014cpoutere Coastal Camping on Ohui Rd, where he smashed his way into the store and took more items.<\/p>\n
The damage totalled $24,690.98.<\/p>\n
In court this week Tinirau couldn\u2019t explain why he struck the tiny seaside Coromandel town in the early hours of the morning.<\/p>\n
But his lawyer Haley Gane told Judge Tini Clark in the Hamilton District Court on Tuesday that he simply \u201clost the plot\u201d.<\/p>\n
He appeared for sentencing on seven charges of burglary, and one each of reckless driving and failing to stop.<\/p>\n
When asked by Judge Clark what happened that night, Gane said he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, wasn\u2019t taking his medication and \u201che just effectively lost the plot\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis intention was to kill himself after that,\u201d she said, referring to him fleeing police and crashing.<\/p>\n
But Judge Clark questioned why other people had to suffer harm because someone was going through a tough time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat makes no sense to me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Utter destruction in his wake<\/p>\n
Judge Clark said reading through the summary of facts did no justice to the \u201cutter destruction that Mr Tinirau left in his wake\u201d.<\/p>\n
At 2.30am, Tinirau was seen driving along State Highway 25 at \u014cpoutere, where he crossed the centre-line into the path of a police car heading towards him.<\/p>\n
Damage caused by Eli Tinirau to homeware business Table Talk on Port Rd. <\/p>\n
The patrol car swerved at the last minute to avoid a crash.<\/p>\n
A short time later he was driving along Waihi-Whangamata Rd at Whiritoa, where police signalled him to stop.<\/p>\n
He drove off at speed and was involved in a pursuit with police for more than 10km.<\/p>\n
He only came to a stop after overtaking a truck and crashing into a ditch.<\/p>\n
Judge Clark told Gane she was trying to understand what happened that night.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, it\u2019s extraordinary offending,\u201d Gane replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I have read through those victim impact statements to Mr Tinirau today and he got quite upset about the impact he\u2019s had on multiple people,\u201d Gane said.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood,\u201d the judge replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe does show a lot of remorse. All I can say on the day, he wasn\u2019t taking his medication, which is essential to his mental health given his diagnosis. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe was also under the influence of marijuana.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eli Tinirau, 18, in the Hamilton District Court on Tuesday. Photo \/ Belinda Feek<\/p>\n
But that didn\u2019t gain any sympathy from the judge.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth of those things are self-imposed circumstances which do not carry a great deal of weight.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you intoxicate yourself that is your decision and that is not a mitigating factor.\u201d<\/p>\n
The judge wanted to know what was happening to lead such \u201cutterly destructive\u201d behaviour.<\/p>\n
Gane said Tinirau wasn\u2019t thinking about the victims at the time, but he did when reading their victim impact statements.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been, for some, probably a life-altering event,\u201d the judge said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I don\u2019t say that to exaggerate the situation but there\u2019s a lot that would have been felt initially, and in the long term because this type of thing doesn\u2019t just go away once you clean up the glass.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt affects the whole community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Given he was a first offender, Judge Clark agreed to keep Tinirau out of prison and sentenced him to seven months\u2019 home detention, to be served at a Manurewa property, disqualified him from driving for seven months and to pay reparation at $50 a week.<\/p>\n
However, she told him, and his wh\u0101nau who were in court to support him, that he must stay away from alcohol, cannabis and psychoactive substances, especially considering his diagnosis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are not things that help you or your wellbeing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must also take your medication.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not optional,\u201d she told him.<\/p>\n
She also banned him from entering Whangamat\u0101 during his sentence and six months of post-detention conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis behaviour is not to be repeated,\u201d the judge said.<\/p>\n