'What are you going to do about it?': Meat thief challenges supermarket manager

A man caught stealing hundreds of dollars worth of meat, some of which he stuffed inside his jacket, told police he did it because he was hungry.

At one of the supermarkets, he went as far as to challenge a store manager who confronted him - saying: "What are you going to do about it?" - before walking out the door with the stolen goods.

James Dean Weir, 29, appeared in the Nelson District Court today after being caught shoplifting from supermarkets and a department store on numerous occasions.

He also confronted a worker outside a workshop with a fake pistol.

The court heard his behaviour had been influenced by his mother's serious health diagnosis, and that he had been trying to get himself back on track. He even had a job prospect.

The police said Weir had been offending right up until the day before his scheduled court appearance.

It started in May when he went to the rear of a workshop in Motueka carrying a pistol in his right hand. A staff member stepped outside, and was confronted by Weir asking the whereabouts of a person named Patrick.

"Where is Patrick? If you see him, tell him to lay down," Weir told the worker.

Judge Ruth said there was nothing to suggest the person didn't know the pistol was an imitation and it was made worse by the threat issued.

In July Weir wandered into a Motueka holiday park and began looking around the motel units. He went into one and settled down to drink a beer.

When the caretaker asked what he was doing, Weir became abusive and began shouting, before he was removed from the premises and then trespassed. He initially told police he had been invited by others who were staying there.

Early last month, Weir went into a Nelson supermarket where he put meat in a large trolley and then concealed it in the jacket he was wearing and walked through the self-scanning area, and out the door.

His actions were captured on the in-store CCTV.

Several days later Weir went to a supermarket in Richmond. He made his way to the butchery, carrying a reusable shopping bag, in which he placed more than $300 worth of meat. Again, he walked through the self-scanning area, as his actions were seen by staff and on CCTV.

A few days later in a Nelson department store Weir selected two electric shavers, each worth $249 and hid them in the lining of his jacket before trying to leave the store, taking care not to walk past any staff member, the police summary said.

The store's audible theft alarm was activated by the stolen shavers as Weir walked out, but a staff member's request to turn out his pockets revealed nothing, and he walked off.

Several days later Weir went to another Nelson supermarket and took $200 worth of meat, again placing the items in a trolley and then hiding it in his jacket.

The store manager confronted him, but Weir left the store saying, "what are you going to do about it"?

He later told police he was hungry and told them, "go with whatever the video (CCTV) says".

Just yesterday Weir went into another Nelson department store and selected items of clothing and a child's bicycle.

He put on a jacket taken from a clothing rack, and then left the store, without making any attempt to pay.

Weir was confronted outside by a staff member, but he walked away, pushing a shopping trolley with $467 worth of stolen items.

Police were called and Weir was found with the goods.

Judge Ruth said while Weir had been doing some good things to help himself, theft is "what you do", as recently as yesterday.

He said more victims had been created, and they were victims unlikely to see any reparation.

Weir was remanded in custody for sentencing in late November.

-By Tracy Neal
Open Justice multimedia journalist