Shoplifter who stole nearly $3k worth of groceries also admits to growing weed

A man who stole four trolley loads of groceries from a Blenheim supermarket has also admitted to growing nearly 100 cannabis plants at his rural Marlborough address.

Visting Pak’nSave Blenheim on three occasions, a police summary said Sloan Daniel Louis MacDonald, 44, stole $2843.67 worth of groceries without attempting to pay for them.

On December 7, 2022, MacDonald loaded his trolley with items valued at $280.48, walked through the supermarket's self-checkout area and unloading the trolley into his vehicle before leaving the area.

Just over two weeks later on December 23, he again stole a load of groceries by walking his trolley through the self-checkout area, before re-entering the store and doing the same thing, totalling $1201.20 of stolen items that day.

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MacDonald stole $1361.99 worth of items from the supermarket on January 13 and reparation from was sought by Pak’nSave Blenheim following the incidents.

The summary also said that on January 28 this year, police found 97 cannabis plants ranging from 5cm to 40cm in height near the door of his home address on Wairau Bar Rd, Spring Creek.

The plants were found in individual pots, and some pots showed signs of having been watered within the last hour, police said.

In relation to the shoplifting, MacDonald told police that "times were tough", and he initially denied the cannabis plants were his, saying they had been "left at his address by a relative".

He pleaded guilty to two charges of shoplifting over $1000, one charge of shoplifting under $500 and one charge of cultivating cannabis at Blenheim District Court on Monday.

MacDonald advised his lawyer Josh Smith that he had "employment lined up with conservation", which involved "weed eating reserves and the like".

"He wants to be able to pay back that reparation," Smith said.

A pre-sentence report and an alcohol and drug report would be completed before MacDonald's sentencing on April 26.