Timaru woman sentenced to home detention for lying about finding a needle in strawberry

A woman who lied about finding a needle in a strawberry has been sentenced to five months home detention.

Jaydean Temperly was sentenced in the Timaru District Court on Thursday, having pleaded guilty to charges of making a false complaint and causing loss by deception.

In December, a needle was claimed to be found inside a New Zealand-grown strawberry purchased at Timaru's Pak'nSave.

On Thursday, the court heard that Temperly inserted a needle into one of the strawberries before posting an image of it on Facebook.

She initially told police that she had found the needle when cutting up the strawberry.

Judge Joanna Maze said the case had been a disruption in the peak of the season and had impacted other supermarkets.

The Timaru Pak'nSave had to remove and destroy more than 2000 punnets.

Temperley said she regretted her offending and didn't realise how far it would lead and how many people it would affect.

She won't have to pay reparations.

Newshub.