Teen-age burglars travelled by taxi

Press, 17 May 1989, Page 1

Teen-age burglars travelled by taxi

By

BARRY CLARKE

A group of Christchurch teenage burglars who used taxis to travel to and from the scene of some of their crimes has been busted.

Six youths have been apprehended in connection with 13 burglaries of businesses and schools in the Papanui area, involving goods valued at almost $20,000. More arrests are likely, Detective Brendan Bateman said yesterday. Most of the stolen property has been recovered from several city houses. The proceeds had been used to buy drugs. A man, aged 25, has appeared in the District Court charged with possession of a large amount of cannabis for supply. “It appears they’ve been doing the burglaries to pay for cannabis. There haven’t been large amounts involved — more for their own personal use,” said Detective Bateman. Several of the offenders have also been charged with possession of cannabis. “there’s no evidence they have been involved with homebake, heroin or pills — just cannabis. But that’s not unusual, even for their age,” Detective Bateman said. “Some had been glue sniffers once.” The brief but spectacular

crime wave started a month ago. Detectives made a breakthrough a fortnight ago after a pattern indicated the burglaries were being committed by the same group. All the offenders are aged between 14 and 17. They include a high school pupil,, a youth with a steady job, and several who are unemployed. Several of the crimes were planned at a Papanui fast-food bar and video-games parlour. Some of the commercial premises were burgled twice on the same night. “They would be at these places and talk their associates into breaking into somewhere. After they’d done the first job, a couple would go back later on,” said Detective Bateman. "On at least one occasion, they caught a taxi to where they were going, committed the burglary and then rang from the site to be picked up. “They’d get dropped off 50 yards from home. It shows you how blatant they were. Some of them didn’t have a care in the world. “They’d walk to the scenes and walk back carrying whatever they’d stolen. They didn’t seem to worry about cars going past or whatever.

“At one school they stayed the night, ate food and, by the looks

of it, drank alcohol,” Detective Bateman said. The network has been connected to burglaries at: ® Heaton Intermediate School, where four cassette players, total value $l5OO, were taken. ® Elmwood Normal School, stereo and electrical goods, $2500. ® Allenvale School, electrical goods, $2500. • Koinonia School, stereo, video, stationery, $3OOO. ® Waimairi Primary, computer, television monitor, $2OOO. ® Papanui High School, goods and value still being assessed. • Farmers Trading Company, Northlands, jackets, $2300. • Hallensteins, Northlands, jackets, $lBOO. • Velo Cycles and Sports Goods, Warrington Street, air rifles, .22 calibre ammunition, $750. ® Hurst and Drake, Northlands, a small amount of glue. ® Simons Video, Papanui, six video tapes, $420. • Kovaks Design Furniture, Langdons Road, leatherware, $5OOO. A $lOOO paraglider has also been recovered, but the police still do not know where it came from. "We’ve been able to find owners for most of the property,” Detective Bateman said.