Thames burglar’s two-night ‘home invasion’

Monday, 27 July 2026

A burglar who moved into a stranger’s Thames home for two nights, ate his food, drank his alcohol and ransacked the property as part of “brazen and prolonged” offending has failed in a bid to seek home detention.

Jeremy Ernest Finn was jailed for 21 months after a spree that included a commercial burglary, the theft of a minibus and a prolonged invasion of a victim’s home.

Finn appealed his sentence to the High Court at Hamilton, arguing the District Court should have allowed him to apply for home detention if a suitable address later became available.

But Justice Mathew Downs dismissed the appeal, describing the offending as serious, “brazen and prolonged”.

Finn’s first bout of offending occurred on January 18, 2025, when he went to a large gated industrial property on Kopu Rd in Thames with at least two unidentified associates.

The group stole $776 worth of tools and equipment from a toolbox belonging to Thames Towing.

They also broke into two shipping containers and stole power tools and other items worth $1070.

Finn then stole a 2009 Ford Transit minibus belonging to the Tairua Bus Company, valued at $5000.

The bus was later found at his grandmother’s address.

Finn’s more disturbing offending began on September 12, 2025, after he drove past a Thames property and noticed two large heavy vehicles parked in its driveway.

He decided he wanted to drive them and entered the property to check whether anyone was home.

After establishing the house was empty, Finn stayed there for two nights.

During that time he ransacked the home, damaged it, ate the victim’s food, drank his alcohol, smoked inside and used the victim’s personal belongings.

He also found two airguns and loaded them into the heavy vehicles.

When Finn finally left the house on September 17, he was wearing clothing and jewellery belonging to the victim and the victim’s deceased father.

He was located a short time later in a moderate state of intoxication.

In the District Court, Judge Noel Cocurullo adopted a starting point of 30 months’ imprisonment.

Finn received a 35% reduction for his guilty pleas and other factors, but the sentence was increased by 5% because some of the offending occurred while he was on bail.

That produced a final sentence of 21 months’ imprisonment.

The judge rejected home detention because the offending was too serious.

On appeal, Finn’s lawyer argued he should have been given permission to apply for home detention if an acceptable address later became available.

The court heard Finn had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and had a relatively limited conviction history, including liquor-ban breaches, driving offending and one theft worth less than $500.

A court report identified alcohol and cannabis use as issues and assessed Finn as presenting a low general risk of reoffending, particularly if he received alcohol and drug counselling.

However, Justice Downs said the report was not consistent with a sentence of home detention.

It noted Finn’s account of the offending was implausible, he lacked positive social relationships and had poor problem-solving skills, limited consequential thinking and a poor choice of friends and associates.

Police said the residential burglary amounted to a home invasion and a serious breach of the victim’s privacy.

They said Finn had taken sentimental belongings that were “irreplaceable and priceless” and had devastated the home.

The commercial burglary was also described as premeditated and serious, involving three victims and significant loss.

Reports provided to the court also found Finn had failed to properly accept responsibility, disputed parts of the summary of facts and offered conflicting and implausible explanations for his behaviour.

Justice Downs found no sentencing error and dismissed the appeal.