A man was in the grips of a methamphetamine addiction when he broke into a relative’s home and stole their firearms collection worth nearly $15,000.

Nathaniel Scott and an associate smashed their way into the victim’s garage and a cabinet holding two safes, which had been bolted in place.

The victims were uninsured and away on holiday at the time. Coming home to find they had been burgled has left them traumatised and their children wondering, “is the bad man coming back?”.

Scott appeared in the Hamilton District Court recently for sentencing before Judge Denise Clark on two charges of burglary and two of failing to appear in court.

‘He’s betrayed me, my wife and my kids’

In his statement, the relative said Scott’s actions had “greatly affected our current lives”.

“Since he has committed this unbelievable crime against my family ... my wife is struggling to sleep at night.

“She is very scared that the defendant or others ... are coming back.

“This has also deeply affected our children, who keep saying, ‘Is the bad man coming back?’”

He said Scott knew they were going away when he broke in.

“He has betrayed myself, my wife and my kids.”

They had been impacted financially because of not having insurance and having to install security cameras.

‘Relic machine gun, rifle, semi-automatic pistols – gone’

The victims had locked and secured their home and made the discovery after returning home from holiday about 11.30am on October 8 last year.

They discovered the wooden cabinet, which contained the firearms safe and a small safe, in pieces, while both safes were missing.

The back door to the garage had its window smashed, while the door frame around it was damaged and looked like someone had tried to pry it open.

The main firearms safe had been bolted to the wall and floor, but the bolts had been cut, allowing it to be ripped out.

It contained a relic machine gun, a bolt-action rifle and 10 other semi-automatic pistols.

There was also a bag containing firing pins and springs, which would make all the firearms operable apart from the relic.

The small safe contained about 900 rounds of ammunition.

When the police conducted a scene examination, they found prints in and outside the wooden cabinet, which could only have been made after it had been dismantled.

They were identified as Scott’s.

Meanwhile, the other burglary occurred five months earlier when Scott and an associate stole glass fittings from a construction site.

They were spotted on CCTV and spoken to “very soon” afterwards.

‘He’s getting back at me for sleeping with his ex’

The police prosecutor said officers had spoken to a person in Spring Hill prison who Scott claimed was his co-offender.

However, the man denied being involved, knew nothing about the burglary, or having any firearms delivered anywhere.

The man believed Scott was getting back at him because he had been sleeping with his ex-girlfriend.

‘He’s looking a lot better now’

Scott’s counsel, Vhari Thursby, said her client had co-operated with police and had offered his help as early as December last year.

There had been several delays and it was only in recent months that he’d finally been interviewed.

She suggested her client should still qualify for a discount of about 5-10% for his willingness to co-operate.

“Mr Scott doesn’t shy away from the seriousness of his offending, ma’am, and that’s acknowledged through my submissions.”

She suggested a starting point of about three years and six months.

He had no previous convictions.

At the time, he was in the grips of a meth addiction, and that “goes some way to explain his actions and where he has found himself”.

“He is remorseful and has good prospects of rehabilitation.”

He was also keen to pay some reparation but had been in custody since the middle of October last year. This meant he was of limited means, although he did have positive job prospects.

“He doesn’t have the means to pay that reparation ... but if you deem it is appropriate, it would have to be on payment arrangement.

“He is also sober and looking a lot better today than when he first went into custody.”

‘Hopefully time may help the victims’

Judge Clark said his offending had impacted the victims directly and their wider family and friends.

“Coming back to this was a huge wrench to all of them.

“I’m hopeful that time may help with the harm that has been caused.”

There had been a “significant” loss of $14,500 worth of firearms, which, concerningly, were also now missing, she said.

The judge said it was clear there was a nexus between Scott’s drug addiction and his offending.

“It doesn’t excuse it but provides some context.”

She took a start point of three years and eight months before allowing discounts for his guilty plea, drug addiction and mental health issues, before coming to an end jail term of 22 months.

Judge Clark also ordered he pay $5500 in reparation at not less than $30 per week, with the first payment within four weeks of his release from custody.

Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 10 years and has been a journalist for 21.