A Christchurch woman who stole RSA memorial plaques from a cemetery to sell for scrap metal and fund her drug addiction has been sent to prison.
Gail Wickes, 41, stole the plaques from Springston Cemetery.
"It certainly highlights the scourge of methamphetamine and what it does to people and families and society, and it's pretty low that it happened," says Canterbury RSA district president Stan Hansen.
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The court heard how Wickes used a chisel to remove 37 brass plaques and then sold them to scrap metal dealers for $1000 as a way to fund her methamphetamine addiction.
In passing down her sentence, Judge Jane Farish spoke of the despicable nature of the crime to desecrate the memory of those who sacrificed everything for the freedom of New Zealand.
She sentenced Wickes to 26 months in prison and ordered her to pay $5000 in reparation costs.
Outside court family members whose plaques were stolen said the sentence is appropriate.
"I think she definitely needed to be put inside, detention wasn't going to be right, but it's our big hope - all the families' hope - that she'll get the assistance that she needs in there," says Helen Sheen.
The plaques have now been replaced at a cost of $34,000 - Wickes is expected to pay some of that back when she is eventually released from prison.
Newshub.
