After attacking a woman, Jacob Richard Medary (40) found the missing wallet.
The cash was inside.
He appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after admitting a charge of assaulting a female and breaching a sentence of intensive supervision.
The November 7 incident marked the end of a turbulent year for the artist whose ''abstract realist'' work has been sold around New Zealand and in Europe.
In August, he was sentenced to 18 months' intensive supervision, four months' community detention, 160 hours' community work and was banned from driving for a year, following a wild 20km drive with a bottle of vodka.
While serving his sentence, the defendant - in breach of the conditions imposed on him - was drinking at home with friends.
After finding his wallet, containing $600, was lost, he became agitated.
About midnight, Medary found a woman in bed, grabbed her by the arms and kicked her at least twice to the body, connecting with her ribs.
She fled the room and police were called.
When Medary was spoken to he admitted becoming angry but said he had no recollection of what happened in the bedroom ''given his level of intoxication''.
''His wallet containing the cash was later located at the address,'' a police summary noted.
Defence counsel Sarah Saunderson-Warner said it was clear her client's major problem was his alcoholism.
The court heard Medary was on the waiting list for the St Mark's rehabilitation facility in Blenheim.
Judge Michael Turner was enthusiastic about the programme, which ''gets very good results''.
He commended the defendant on his efforts to address his addiction demons.
''It would be easy to sentence you today to prison ... but the interests of society are better served if you are given the opportunity to address the underlying issue,'' he said.
''Hopefully you'll be [at St Mark's] before the end of next month.''
Medary's previous intensive-supervision sentence was cancelled and a new 18-month term imposed.
