Grinch finally pinched for Christmas Day burglary
The Grinch of Grange St has finally been apprehended months after she dampened festive spirits by allegedly burgling a Dunedin home on Christmas Day.
The 39-year-old woman was arrested in a vehicle that was stopped in Butts Rd, north Dunedin, at about 3.40am this morning, Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond said.
On Christmas Day last year, the woman allegedly walked into a Grange St home and stole multiple items, including a wallet and a set of keys, before attempting to try and use one of the credit cards in the wallet for online shopping.
She tried shopping with multiple online retailers but all failed as the card had been cancelled, Snr Sgt Bond said.
Later, on May 25, the woman rummaged through a mailbox in Grange St before stealing an envelope that contained a credit card.
She then allegedly used that card to go on a shopping spree in the city.
The next day, she did the same porch pirate routine by stealing more mail from a letterbox in Ascot St, St Kilda.
This morning, she was arrested and charged with burglary, theft of property, and she received two charges for taking, obtaining and then using credit cards.
She would appear in Dunedin District Court this morning.
laine.priestley@odt.co.nz
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
17 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Booze store staff call cops on drunk driver
The 28-year-old woman was denied service when she tried to buy alcohol. File photo: Getty Images A drunk driver nearly four times over the legal alcohol limit was dobbed in by a Dunedin liquor store after she tried to buy booze, police say. The 28-year-old woman was denied service when she tried to buy alcohol at a liquor store in Anderson's Bay Rd, Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said. Staff called police after seeing the woman get into a car and drive away at about 7.55pm yesterday. Police found the car ''leaving from outside a bottle shop on Princes St''. It was unknown if the bottle store had served her, or if she had been getting food elsewhere, Snr Sgt Bond said. The woman recorded a breath alcohol level of 917mcg — nearly four times over the legal limit for adults. The limit is 250mcg of alcohol per litre of breath. The woman had her driver's licence suspended for 28 days, was forbidden to drive and summonsed to appear in the Dunedin District Court at a later date. Police were thankful the bottle store had alerted them about the drunk driver, Snr Sgt Bond said. ''They've done the right thing. ''It's common sense and the good Samaritan approach of seeing an issue and calling us about it.'' The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 states it is an offence for the licensee or manager of any licensed premise to sell or supply alcohol to an intoxicated person — punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or a liquor licence suspension of up to seven days.
NZ Herald
19 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Lucy Letby case: Expert says hospital care may have led to baby deaths
'On reading through the detailed medical notes, what was harrowing was seeing a story unfold where possibly things could have been recognised earlier and interventions could have been put in place, and perhaps for some of the babies, the outcomes might not have been what they were,' she said. 'This was deeply distressing. This was a neonatal unit that was being required to look after babies who should not have been cared for there.' 'The babies that we're referring to were all extremely vulnerable. Some of them were demonstrably and recognisably on a knife-edge. 'Others could have been recognised to have been on a knife-edge, but they were not monitored appropriately, and they were not treated appropriately. 'Problems went unrecognised until the point at which a baby deteriorated very abruptly. So the babies might not have died had their difficulties been addressed earlier.' Modi is part of a panel of world-leading experts who have challenged the verdicts and who have compiled a report that has been presented to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which looks into potential miscarriages of justice. Experts are questioning the evidence used to convict Letby, with a report presented to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Photo / Getty Images The CCRC is expected to report back before Christmas. The documentary also heard that test results, which the prosecution relied on to prove that several of the babies had been poisoned with insulin, were not fit for purpose. Professor Matthew Johll, a forensic chemist from Illinois Valley Community College, said that an immunoassay test should not have been used to convict Letby without follow-up forensic testing to rule out a false positive. 'You would not strip a gold medal from an international athlete on an immunoassay,' he said. 'It's not good enough for drug testing for pilots or anyone who has mandatory drug testing. So how can it be good enough to put someone in prison?' Lucy Letby: Beyond Reasonable Doubt? is currently available on ITVX. The show's producers said: 'After two trials, nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty of killing seven newborn babies and attempting to kill seven others in one of the most shocking murder cases in British history. 'Described as a cold-blooded, calculating killer, Letby was said to have used her trusted role to cause catastrophic harm to the most vulnerable newborn babies. 'So why are a growing number of expert voices now questioning the evidence used to convict her? This programme explores the views of a team of international scientists who say the prosecution case simply doesn't stand up to scrutiny.' Lucy Letby could face further charges. Photo / Getty Images Letby could also face further charges. In July, Cheshire Constabulary passed a new file to the Crown Prosecution Service relating to new baby deaths and non-fatal collapses at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women's Hospital between 2012 and 2016. The CPS confirmed that it had received the file and said it would 'carefully consider the evidence to determine whether any criminal charges should be brought'. Cheshire Constabulary is also investigating three former managers from the Countess of Chester over allegations of gross negligence manslaughter and corporate manslaughter.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Second cannabis conviction for former policeman
A former police officer has been convicted of cannabis crime — and it is not the first time. Adrian John Van Der Eik (also known as Frank), 66, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday and was sentenced to supervision after earlier admitting cultivating the drug. The court heard that on February 24, police attended the defendant's rural Otago home and found seven semi-mature cannabis plants growing outside. Yesterday, counsel Brendan Stephenson said his client suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after his time as a police officer. He had been battling with ACC to get counselling and there was a strong link between the defendant's mental health issues and the offending, his lawyer said. Judge Maria Pecotic agreed and noted Van Der Eik had "a longstanding addiction issue" with cannabis which he used to self-medicate. "I understand why you're standing here today," the judge said. "It's not just the nature of the work you engaged in beforehand but it seems other family members have similar issues to you." She sentenced the tearful defendant to nine months' supervision. "I hope you are able to get the help you need Mr Van Der Eik, and don't end up coming back before the court on another charge like this again," Judge Pecotic said. The defendant was set for a judge-alone trial on a charge of speaking threateningly yesterday but was offered diversion. The police diversion scheme allows eligible offenders to avoid a conviction by completing an agreed set of tasks. The recent cannabis conviction was not the first time Van Der Eik had faced drug charges laid by his former employer. In 2004 he was convicted of possessing the class-C drug and a pipe and was fined. The Otago Daily Times previously reported that Van Der Eik was employed by police from 1978 to 1991. He had been a sole-charge officer at Clinton and transferred to Middlemarch in 1989. Van Der Eik said he was forced to "medically disengage" from police in June 1991, with chronic severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Earlier this year, Van Der Eik sent an email to police prosecutions, into which the ODT was copied, saying he intended to defend the charges and "this case is all about PTSD". "We shall expose the causation by police, gaslighting by ACC, and the Tail Management Plan between both during late 1990s that required ACC to exit the 129 long term injured police with expected savings of millions as we were permanently injured," the email read. "I thank police for bringing this matter to public attention." — Felicity Dear, Court reporter
