Man to pay $745 for camera

The CCTV photo of the camera vandal which was posted on the Queenstown police Facebook page. ...
The CCTV photo of the camera vandal which was posted on the Queenstown police Facebook page. Photo by NZ Police.
A Queenstown roofer who stared into a CCTV camera before vandalising it was yesterday sentenced to 80 hours' community work and ordered to pay $745.43 in reparation.

Anthony Peter Hughes (25) made headlines last month after Queenstown police uploaded CCTV footage of him staring into a camera on Shotover St for almost a minute, moments before it was vandalised.

Yesterday Hughes admitted intentionally damaging the camera, property of the Queenstown Lakes District Council, on September 14.

Prosecuting Sergeant Iain Patton said Hughes was walking home along Shotover St about 3am when he became fixated on the camera.

After staring at it for ''some time'', Sgt Patton said Hughes ''climbed the pole'', took hold of the camera bracket and snapped it, causing the camera to stop working.

The council sought reparation of $3174.23, but duty solicitor Rhona Daysch said Hughes disputed that.

''Apparently Mr Hughes was on the police Facebook page and got a bit of a hammering.

"Because of that, [a council representative] thought he'd received enough punishment so he wouldn't charge him for disbursement.''

 

 

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