A man says he is ready to turn his life around after considering prison his home for many years.
Andre Hoani Bishop, 36, appeared in the Invercargill District Court last week on driving, drug and violence charges.
He arrived back in Invercargill in 2015 following his deportation from Australia under the controversial 501 legislation.
Counsel John Westgate said since then Bishop had spent almost all of his time in prison.
On December 24, 2021, Bishop and an associate went to a backyard mechanic’s house.
They told him they were taking a Holden Captiva and he needed to get them the keys.
The victim said the car did not work and he was not going to let the defendant have it.
Bishop assaulted the man and pulled out a hammer he had tucked down his pants.
Bishop’s explanation was that there had been a dispute over a car and the victim owed him money.
On a later occasion the defendant stole two cars and had methamphetamine in his possession.
He addressed Judge Russell Walker at sentencing and said the problem was institutionalisation.
Bishop said he was first locked up when he was 14 and had always been around criminals, but he wanted to get better.
"I looked at it like they were my brothers and [prison] was my home," he said.
"Now I’m starting to see this as a consequence.
"I owe myself the chance to better myself," he said.
The judge sentenced Bishop to 29 months’ imprisonment and disqualified him from driving for three years.
He accepted the defendant wanted to change for himself and his family.
"You know what you need to do because you’ve told me what you need to do — you just need to do it," he said.
