An itinerant man seen with a late-model ute without plates in Cromwell told police he had bought it on Facebook.
Police went to speak to Ian Tangirau Foreman, 33, unemployed, at a campground in the town last week after getting a call from a member of the public.
At first Foreman claimed the 2023 Mitsubishi Triton ute, worth about $55,000, belonged to a relative, and his "aunty" was on her way from Dunedin to pick it up.
The woman said she and Foreman had bought the vehicle on Facebook, without plates, for $10,000.
However, they did not have a transfer of title or a receipt, and "couldn’t remember" the seller’s name.
Police inquiries revealed the ute was hired by one of Foreman’s relatives from a Gisborne vehicle rental company on July 27. It was reported as stolen a week later.
Foreman then changed his story, saying he had bought the vehicle from an unknown man in Tawa, but refused to say more.
In addition to the receiving charge, he was sentenced in the Alexandra District Court yesterday on charges of theft of $40.75 petrol from a BP station in Whangarei on March 10, theft of $93.49 petrol from a Z station in Auckland on June 8, and theft of $70 in clothing from The Warehouse Riccarton in Christchurch on June 15.
Judge Michael Turner convicted Foreman and imposed a sentence of 15 months’ prison, with leave to apply for home detention if a suitable address could be found.
Foreman must also pay a total of $204.24 reparation to his theft victims.
The woman who spoke to police on the phone, a 26-year-old from Central Otago, has also been charged with receiving.
Also sentenced by Judge Turner on Thursday was.—
- Simon Jack Atherton, 42, of Springvale, breaching home detention, April 19; possessing cannabis, April 20, one month’s prison.
