Photo / NZME
By David Clarkson, Open Justice multimedia journalist, Christchurch
Former All Black Zac Guildford says he had 'a drink' in February when his life was "at rock bottom", before his sentencing for stealing from his grandfather.
Guildford has been convicted for breaching an intensive supervision order, for drinking alcohol.
Police attended an incident at the 33-year-old's home which he shares with his partner, where he was found intoxicated.
The incident happened before he was sentenced in March for stealing from his grandfather to fuel a secret gambling addiction.
Guildford, now living in the South Island, pleaded guilty to the breach in the Christchurch District Court today, and was sentenced by Judge Quentin Hix.
Guildford had been serving a sentence of two years' intensive supervision after being convicted of punching a woman in December 2019 in an incident the presiding judge described as 'savage and appalling'.
He broke the orders in February, prior to being sentenced on separate charges for stealing more than $40,000 from his grandfather and deceiving a friend out of $60,000.
Outside court he described the conviction and discharge today as "the best possible outcome".
Guildford had got into a cycle of addiction but that ended before the March sentencing when he hit "rock bottom".
He had put in a lot of hard work and made some brilliant changes. He described himself as being "in a beautiful head-space".
He told Open Justice he was now really confident and was in contact weekly with his grandfather.
"I really just had to own my s**t," he said.
Defence counsel Teresa Penman had told Judge Hix that the breach pre-dated the March sentencing, and she argued that if it had been dealt with at that time, no extra penalty would have been imposed.
Judge Hix accepted that and accepted Community Probation's recommendation for a conviction and discharge.
