A teenager who stole a police car in Murupara, prompting a helicopter search, has admitted his guilt.
Maaki Te Huirau Emery, 18, appeared at Rotorua District Court on Tuesday and entered a guilty plea to stealing the $25,000 police car on October 17.
He also entered guilty pleas to charges of escaping police custody, dangerous driving, attempting to take a second vehicle and the aggravated robbery of cigarettes and $300.
Emery appeared by Audio Visual Link and spoke to confirm his guilty pleas.
"Yeah, might as well [plead] guilty eh bro," he said.
"Can I just get sentenced now?" he also asked, a request declined by Judge Greg Hollister-Jones, citing the need for a pre-sentence report.
Hollister-Jones also gave Emery a three strikes warning for the aggravated robbery and remanded him in custody until sentencing on January 23.
In the wake of the theft of the police car a witness described seeing a patrol car stop a truck in Oregon St in Murupara, about 65km southeast of Rotorua, at 7pm.
"As he was being cuffed, the person got into the patrol car and drove off," the woman, who declined to be named, said.
She said there were about six patrol cars involved.
A police helicopter was dispatched to help search for the vehicle and it was eventually found abandoned on Gibbs Rd.
2 comments
Credit where credit is due
Posted on 29-11-2017 16:15 | By maildrop
Even this utter no hoper knows a pre sentence report is a complete waste of time and money. The crims must laugh at the way the justice system wastes time and money with their self important reports and bureaucratic nonsense. Less reports more prison.
I do agree maildrop..........
Posted on 29-11-2017 21:06 | By groutby
........and haven't we got something to really look forward to when this young crim really gets going..question is..why has this way of life got to him presumably well before 18?..totally disrespectful of the law and fellow humans, and along with the other charges relating to this incident ( and I bet there are others from his short past) how did this happen with all the "support" of the people most close to him...please..do NOT suggest is it from historical TOW grievances, that crap does not wash anymore...
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