Chronic Dunedin burglar sentenced to more jail time

Paul John Murphy is an addict.

But it is not the alcohol or drugs that give him excitement.

For 32 years he has been in and out of jail for robberies and robberies: indiscriminate and incessant dishonesty.

More than 150 convictions.

The 49-year-old appeared again in Dunedin District Court yesterday after admitting two counts of robbery and one robbery.

Murphy was first arrested as a teenager, but his kleptomania started much earlier.

His mother, the court heard, remembered him when he came home with items stolen from school or neighboring houses at the age of 5.

He described Murphy as “a magpie” and the things he stole were often items he couldn’t use or needed.

Their inclinations led them to one doctor after another.

The defendant was diagnosed with ADHD, but little else could be understood, which was immensely frustrating for the family.

Defense attorney Rhona Daysh said little had changed.

“It’s a riddle, a riddle, an enigma,” he said.

“He cannot explain his offense. He does not understand his offense.”

On November 3, just six months after his release from prison, Murphy stole an expensive mountain bike outside an address on Great King St.

Soon after, he went to the back of a house on Park St, through a door, and into an enclosed courtyard.

From the wash line, she picked up “a variety of women’s underwear and bikini items,” Judge Mark Callaghan said.

The mini spree came to an end on November 8.

In the early hours, Murphy was found crawling by a resident of a George St. home. After a brief confrontation, the defendant ran away.

The judge said the fact that the victim came face to face with the man who had broken into their home made the robbery “pretty severe.”

Daysh said his client accepted that prison was the best place for him and that he wanted to address his problems while behind bars.

Murphy was sentenced to two years and a month in jail and ordered to pay nearly $ 1,500 in reparations.