Cheese case sentence

Latitia Haycock claimed she was unaware that she was involved in the theft of several large blocks of cheese, but was still sentenced to 160 hours' community work for her role in the Halcombe heist.

In the Feilding District Court yesterday the 23-year-old pleaded guilty to receiving the eight 20 kilogram boxes of cheese in November, a charge of stealing poppy plants from a house in Feilding and a charge of possessing methamphetamine and drug utensils.

Defence counsel Mike Edwards said Haycock had been asked to drive and pick something up – boxes of cheese – and that she would be paid for it.

Mr Edwards said that she had begun paying reparations for half of the stolen goods. The other half would be paid later by her accomplice.

Judge Gerard Lynch said Haycock needed to deal with her drug issue.

"Although the report states you are at a low risk of re-offending, your risk won't remain low if you keep going the way you are," he said. Mr Lynch said although a term of imprisonment had been on the cards, he would sentence Haycock to community work. As well as community work, she was told to attend alcohol and drug counselling and to pay $370 in reparations. Haycock's alleged accomplice, Dion Leyland, 21, has been charged with receiving the boxes of cheese, and drugs and theft charges. He will enter his plea later this month.

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