Last updated 14:03, May 25 2018
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The sentencing of Joshua Lukic before Judge Stephen O'Driscoll on multiple burglary, assault and dishonesty charges.
The sentencing of Joshua Lukic before Judge Stephen O'Driscoll on multiple burglary, assault and dishonesty charges.
A Christchurch man is struggling to accept the loss cherished heirlooms during the burglary of his home, even after the offender was jailed for five years.
"After six months, it still feels raw," burglary victim Ian Jones said at the sentencing of Joshua Lukic on Friday.
Jones followed Lukic's case through all its sessions, and was again at the Christchurch District Court when Judge Stephen O'Driscoll jailed the 30-year-old drug addict.
Five of Ian Jones' medals were found after his home was burgled in December.
Lukic had admitted seven burglaries, theft, two aggravated assaults as he tried to get away from a crime scene, dishonestly using a stolen credit card, escaping from the police, resisting police, interfering with a car, and twice failing to turn up at court while on bail.
Jones had been approached for a restorative justice meeting with Lukic but declined. Lukic had taken things that were "pretty dear to the family", including his wife's engagement ring, his mother's ring, and his father's fire service medals.
"He's been sentenced but nothing's changed. We haven't got much back – some of the medals and none of the jewellery," Jones said.
"If he gave some of the stuff back I might have met him."
Judge O'Driscoll described how a 68-year-old woman felt "frightened, shattered and vulnerable" after one of the Lukic's burglaries. Another had lost his grandmother's wedding ring, which was all he had from his family.
Lukic had a history of offending, including violence, dishonesty, and failing to comply with court orders, going back to his teens. The main cause was his addiction to drugs. He would commit burglaries to get goods to sell and get cash to feed his addictions. He was still assessed as a high-risk offender.
A sentencing session in 2012 was told that his parents had given him cannabis from the age of seven to deal with his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Lukic's trail of criminal bungles was outlined in the documents the police presented to the court when he pleaded guilty to everything in March.
When he was arrested at an address in Mairehau on December 18, Lukic ran off down the driveway and jumped over two fences before being caught – and then he punched a police constable and threw another to the ground before running off again.
He was caught again, but the police had suffered lumps and grazes from the encounter.