An equestrian firm says it is prepared to take a gamble on a man heading for prison - by offering to pay more than $25,000 reparation and $5000 in outstanding fines he owes and giving him a job when he gets out of jail.
Fletcher Christian Dennis (23), of Cromwell, who was yesterday sentenced to three years and four months in jail, received the offer Judge Michael Crosbie described as ''extraordinary generosity''.
Judge Crosbie said in 13 years on the Bench he could count the number of similar offers received by defendants ''on one hand''.
''You should not treat it lightly,'' he told Dennis during sentencing in the Alexandra District Court.
The ''light at the end of the tunnel'' would give the defendant something to work towards.
Dennis was sentenced on six charges of burglary, one of illegally possessing a pistol and three of intentional damage.
Counsel Justine Baird said Dennis had carried out five of the six burglaries in one ''spree'' but had little recollection of the evening because of the drugs and alcohol he had consumed.
He had been offered employment on his release from prison by an equestrian firm after expressing his interest in becoming a farrier.
The firm had offered to pay his reparation and fines.
''Why would they do that?'' Judge Crosbie asked.
There was no guarantee the defendant would come back and work for the firm and it could not force him to do so, he said.
A spokesman from the firm was in court and said the son of the firm's owner got into trouble when he was younger and was given a second chance by someone who offered him a job.
The owner wanted to do the same for the defendant.
It was a gamble, he conceded, but Dennis had shown interest in becoming a farrier and could complete the theory side of the qualification while in prison.
The level of interest shown by the defendant demonstrated he was serious, the spokesman said.
The court heard Dennis burgled Cromwell businesses Buchanan Transport (twice), Central Wormworx and Otago Scrap Metals, as well as a Wishart Cres property, on June 10 and 11, and Silver Fern Farms at Christchurch on March 29 and 30.
At Buchanan Transport, he found a loader that had a key in it and drove it to Central Wormworx, through a 2m-high fence and into the yard, damaging worm beds, as well as the loader, Judge Crosbie said.
On November 11, Dennis had intentionally damaged a court holding cell and a police cell as well as a Department of Corrections van and, on June 11, he was found unlawfully possessing a pistol.
''You caused quite a lot of damage, all of which put a lot of people to a lot of hard work,'' Judge Crosbie said.
The reparation for the damaged loader was $14,544 and Dennis also had to pay reparation for the damage to the worm business, for fixing the cells and the van and to replace money stolen from Silver Fern Farms.
The total was $25,668. Judge Crosbie said Dennis already had five convictions for burglary and six or seven for dishonesty.
The defendant had written him a letter and referred to being ''bounced around CYF homes'' as a child.
He apologised for his actions and noted his good fortune in meeting the person who was prepared to give him a second chance.
That firm had given him a ''fantastic opportunity'', Dennis said in the letter.
Judge Crosbie said the defendant was entitled to a discount from the starting point for the sentence, given there was an expectation reparation would be paid.
If it was not paid, there was authority to revisit the sentence and recalculate it.
Attempts by the Otago Daily Times to contact the equestrian firm for further comment yesterday were unsuccessful.
