A Timaru man who ordered pizzas for somebody else was lured into admitting his offending with the promise of free movie tickets

A Timaru police sergeant's actions were dubbed "unlawful" by the judge but the defendant was still found guilty of fictitiously using a telephone.

Richard Arthur James Crawford, 21, unemployed, of Timaru, was found guilty at the end of a judge alone trial in the Timaru District Court on Friday, of ordering two pizzas to be sent to the house of a former neighbour.

However the court heard how the investigating police officer, Sergeant Greg Sutherland, identified Crawford by sending a text message promising the recipient had won two, five-session movie passes to Timaru's Moviemax cinema.

Judge Joanna Maze said she found Crawford guilty of the offence "by a very narrow margin" despite describing Sutherland's actions as "unlawful behaviour".

In his evidence Sutherland admitted that sending the text message amounted to using a "trick" to identify Crawford.

He said when he visited Crawford, and told him "I'm the Moviemax guy", Crawford slapped his forehead, said "I'm so dumb", and subsequently admitted the offending.

Defence counsel Kelly Beazley argued there was a "direct linkage" between the way Crawford had been identified and his confession.

She said Sutherland's actions amounted to a "breach of the law" and made Crawford's confession "tainted" by the police officer's actions.

In delivering her judgment, Judge Maze said she had "little appetite to reward obtaining evidence by committing an offence".

Judge Maze said despite the sergeant's "unlawful behaviour", given that Sutherland had identified himself as the author of the text message before Crawford confessed his guilt, "by a very narrow margin I will admit the statement".

"I advise him to think twice before he gets any bright ideas again," Judger Maze warned Sutherland at the end of the trial

Crawford, who was already in custody, was ordered to pay reparations of $30.97.