No hard feelings against N.Z.— robbed tourist

Press, 31 March 1980, Page 1

No hard feelings against N.Z.— robbed tourist

“No hard feelings against New Zealand,” said the United States Navy officer who was robbed or his entire savings on the second day of his holiday in New Zealand.

Lieutenant Brian Hogan was punched from behind and robbed of his wallet, containing $4OOO, in the toilet of the Gaslight Tavern at Noahs Hotel on Wednesday evening. Alhough he was bom in New York, Lieutenant Hogan said he had never experienced such an attack before. He felt dazed and “very depressed” after the incident.

Lieutenant Hogan had Just finished a two-year duty at sea. The money stolen, which included SNZ2OO and SUS3BOO, was three months’ advance pay and savings.

“I have nothing against New Zealand. I was just one tourist picked out. It wasn’t the whole country that was picking my pocket,” Lieutenant Hogan said.

“I guess I was foolish having that much money, but it was just the circumstances. I got all my advance pay, and hadn’t been here long enough to find out where thg banks were,” he said. In spite of his unpleasant welcome, Lieutenant Hogan said he enjoyed seeing the country and meeting the people. He had managed a bus tour to Diamond Harbour and Lyttelton.

Unfortunately, the robbery occurred so early in his holiday that he was unable to buy tickets to Sydney and Hong Kong, which he planned to visit. However, Lieutenant Hogan was given a free flight to Mount Cook by Mount Cook Airlines on Saturday. The tour included a ’'glacier heights” ski-plane trip which landed on the Tasman Glacier. ’• Lieutenant Hogan had a meal in the Hermitage and went for a ■ hike in the snow, quite a change from his home in Florida.

He said he was delighted with the free flight. “The offer was fantastic, but it was still an expensive plane ticket to Mount ’ Cook,” he said. ■ Lieutenant Hogan, who j has been staying at the United States Navy’s Ant- ', arctic Support Force head- ’• quarters, will probably i leave today on a military flight to Honolulu and ! then to California. He will ! travel on stand-by. i With no money, Lieu* > tenant Hogan would go • straight back to duties on- I shore. It would be twoi years before he could think ‘ of another holiday, but he i was not'sure yesterday if i he would think of return* ■ ing to New Zealand,