A Royal New Zealand Air Force "secret agent" who earlier escaped charges of stealing "high value" and "operationally sensitive" items from an air base has now been convicted of the crimes.
Corporal Richard Graham was found to have used his Air Force security pass to commit three burglaries at the Whenuapai air base in 2016, stealing items worth more than $200,000.
This included electronics containing sensitive information and tools from a construction site.
He was also found to be in possession of methamphetamine and another drug mimicking the effects of LSD.
He subsequently pleaded guilty to six charges of burglary and possession and supply of drugs.
However, District Court Judge Belinda Pidwell granted Graham a discharge without conviction.
She reasoned at the time that while he had committed serious offences, he had also undertaken important national security service an an intelligence operative for the military.
She accepted arguments from Graham's defence team that he had turned to drugs on his return to New Zealand as a way to cope with stress from his work as a "secret agent" in a war zone.
She also agreed he had not been given proper support on his return because his commanders, who were not a part of the intelligence sector, did not know about his secret service.
However, the police appealed the decision to the High Court, seeking to have convictions entered against Graham.
In a reserved decision made late last month, High Court Justice Anne Hinton upheld the police appeal and recorded convictions against Graham on all six charges.
She accepted Graham had "done everything he could" to rehabilitate himself by becoming drug-free and gaining interim employment in the building industry.
She also accepted Graham would likely be dishonourably discharged from the Defence Force because of his convictions and would never secure employment in the intelligence sector again.
However, she said this was not likely to stop him finding a job in a different field.
His offending had been serious and future employers deserved to know what he had done, she said.
"Graham is very capable and skilled, and there is no evidence that he would not be employable in a number of alternative roles," she said.
Graham will no be sentenced in the District Court.
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