Two men who stole money from community groups while volunteering for those same groups were criticised by a judge yesterday for their "nasty'' offending.
The men involved in the two separate incidents were sentenced by Judge Kevin Phillips in the Alexandra District Court yesterday.
Both had been caught on film when their organisations installed cameras after money went missing. Scott Chapman (31), driver, of Cromwell, pleaded guilty to stealing $2000 cash from the Cromwell Squash Club, between June 1, 2015, and April 13, 2016.
Matthew Simon Samuel (38), of Alexandra, admitted theft by a person in a special relationship by stealing $244 cash from the Alexandra Volunteer Fire Brigade between July 1, 2015 and November 29, 2015.
Judge Phillips said organisations like the fire brigade and squash club were "extremely vulnerable'' with limited financial resources and the defendants had both breached the trust placed in them.
"It was really nasty offending.''
At an earlier appearance, the court was told Chapman had been on the squash club committee and worked as a volunteer on the bar.
Club officials had concerns about declining bar takings over 10 to 12 months and installed a closed circuit television.
Chapman was identified taking cash. When spoken to, he admitted taking about $2000 over time, and said he had bills to pay and was struggling.
He was sentenced yesterday to four months' home detention,150 hours' community work and ordered to pay $1800 reparation to the club.
Judge Phillips said the starting point for sentencing was 6-8 months' jail.
Chapman needed money to feed an alcohol and drug addiction and his offending history included 23 previous convictions, Judge Phillips said.
"I'm sure if the club had known that, you wouldn't have been behind the bar.''
At least once a week, Chapman took money while he was serving on the bar. Counsel Russell Checketts said the defendant had paid $200 back to the club and would pay a sum every week.
Chapman could not explain his actions and had "stupidly wrecked his life''. He had moved away from Central Otago and gone back to live with his parents.
Prosecutor Tim Hambleton said Samuel, who had been a member of the fire brigade for seven years, entered the fire station and obtained a key which unlocked the stock cupboard where the bar cash float was kept.
He did not have authority to access the float. Brigade officials installed a hidden camera after concerns about the float dropping.
A hand with a distinctive silver bracelet, worn by the defendant, was filmed getting into the cash float.
A second hidden camera was then installed by police and it revealed the defendant gaining entry to the cupboard.
A stocktake immediately afterwards showed the cash float was down.
After being spoken to by police, Samuel admitted taking money on three occasions but could not recall how much, Mr Hambleton said.
He was sentenced to 200 hours' community work and ordered to pay $544 reparation - to repay the cash he had stolen and to cover the cost of the camera installed by the brigade.
Samuel's counsel, Kieran Tohill, said the defendant had "lost everything'' - his job and the respect of his colleagues.
He missed the fire brigade and his former colleagues there.
The defendant was "deeply ashamed and remorseful'' and Alexandra was a small town so part of his punishment was having to face people who knew about his offending, Mr Tohill said.
