A Te Puke teenager who illegally used a Z fuel card to get $677.45 worth of petrol for his and his brother's cars received a sentence of supervision in Tauranga District Court today.

Anthony John Reha, 19, appeared for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to 17 charges of using a Z fuel card, belonging to Booths Transport to obtain fuel for private use.

Anthony Reha used the Z fuel card several times between June 2 and June 20.

He obtained the fuel card by entering Booths Transport after hours to obtain the keys for a work vehicle from which he took a fuel card.

Reha was not an employee.

During three weeks, Reha used the card 17 times at different Z service stations in Te Puke, Rotorua, Tauranga and Mount Maunganui.

The supervision sentence is on the basis of a restorative justice conference, says his lawyer Genevieve Denize.

Reha is paying back the money and undertaking budgetary advice and has enrolled on a WINZ horticultural course.

He was 18 at the time of the offending, and has since come to understand the broader implications of his offending, says Genevieve.

Judge Robert Wolff says it's amazing that only when in the dock the age of 18, which is seen differently when elsewhere, is regarded as that of a mature adult.

The supervision is in conjunction with a court order that Reha undertake courses as determined by the probation office.