Also set up fake Facebook account to sell goods that were never sent
A man in Te Awamutu has pleaded guilty to using his employer's petrol card and using his work key to steal a weedeater and a battery charger, among other offences.
Daniel Paul Johnstone racked up a total of $1,205 worth of petrol after using his employer's fuel card multiple times in Waikato in January last year, The New Zealand Herald reported.
He also accessed Parklands Turf using his work key outside of work hours to steal a weedeater and a battery charger, according to the report.
But these are just some of the offences that Johnstone faced in court before he was sentenced last week. According to the Herald's report, he also set up a fake Facebook account to sell a PlayStation and Xbox that he didn't own.
Part of his scheme was allegedly duping victims into paying him between $650 to $1,000 for either an Xbox or PlayStation, which they never received. His scheme victimised several individuals in Wānaka, Christchurch, and Hamilton. He racked up more than $6,000 for his offences.
Sentence received
As a result, Hamilton District Court sentenced Johnstone to five months for his offences. He was also ordered to pay his victims $20 a week, and prohibited from using alcohol or drugs, as well as using Facebook Marketplace.
He was also prohibited from contacting his victims, as well as his former employer, according to the Herald report.
In considering the sentence, the court heard Johnstone's employment situation and mental health issues, where he used alcohol and drugs to self-medicate.
He expressed shame over his behaviour through a letter of remorse to the court and offered to pay reparations.
