Andy Jackson/Stuff
Kararaina Makere Te Rauna, 33, appeared in the New Plymouth District Court on eight charges of shoplifting and theft on Wednesday. (File photo)
Though confident a recidivist thief would continue to steal, a community magistrate has nonetheless challenged the woman to prove them wrong after convicting her for a brazen three-day shoplifting spree in Taranaki. In October last year, Kararaina Makere Te Rauna, 33, and an alleged co-offender drove around Taranaki under the influence of synthetic cannabis, stealing from numerous shops and petrol stations to help fund their habit, a police summary of facts stated. At New Plymouth District Court on Wednesday Te Rauna said she “can t remember much” of the weekend, which saw her and another person, who cannot be named as they are yet to go through the courts, steal more than $1200 in goods and fuel.
He verbally abused his partner and asked why she had given up on the relationship, before running outside and smashing the cellphone. Almao then returned to the bedroom and verbally chastised the victim, before taking two steps towards where she was crouched beside the bed and swinging his foot. The victim closed her eyes and felt a blow to the side of her head. She got back on to the bed and Almao grabbed her and pulled her from side to side. She got out of the bedroom and called police on her flatmate s cellphone, the summary said. Police were called, but Almao resisted arrest and pulled his arms away when officers tried to handcuff him.
“You started stealing in March last year and you didn’t stop until I remanded you in custody in January this year,” he said. Honeybun must have been aware she was going to get caught due to the blatant way she went about her offending, despite surveillance systems and security cameras. “Some are quite high value goods, nearly $3000 worth of goods at a time, so we are not talking about a few lollies from the corner dairy.” Honeybun targeted New Plymouth stores, Morris Tool Shed and Trade Zone, between November 2020 and January 6, 2021, a police summary of facts stated. She stole batteries, gas lighters, gas bottles, tool sets and socket sets valued more than $1800 by walking around the stores looking at different items, stashing them in her handbag and then leaving without paying.
Unity Wara was grabbed on a track at Kawaroa Park. An arrest has now been made.
A 40-year-old man has been arrested and charged with assaulting a woman as she rode her bike through a New Plymouth bush track. Sergeant Rhys Connell said the man was arrested on Thursday in relation to the January 16 incident New Plymouth s Kawaroa Park. Unity Wara, 43, was grabbed from behind and pulled her from the bicycle as she rode through the area, which is near the Coastal Walkway. Wara used kick-boxing skills she learnt as a teenager to fight off the assailant and escape.
READ MORE:
Acting Central District Commander Nigel Allan said the defendant was a former police officer but did not say whether they resigned or were fired. Allan also did not respond to questions about how the offending was detected, whether it had affected staff morale, or what reassurance he could give to the public whose trust may have been affected as a result. The officer joins a growing number of Taranaki police who have appeared before the courts in recent years. In August 2019, former senior police officer Shaun Keenan was jailed for three years and eight months after he admitted stealing $486,045.71 from his hapū during the five years he was employed as its chief executive.