Crimeline: Unfair Game
Unfair Game
A couple of alleged, teenage poachers – one from Lake Hayes and one from Cromwell, were spoken to by Police who executed search warrants early yesterday after two prize breeding stags, worth between $US30,000 and $US50,000, were shot and killed on a Bendigo farm.
Police say the two prize stags were shot and killed on the private land on Sunday, 17 May. Police inquiries led to two youths, one from Queenstown and one from Cromwell, being spoken to for alleged unlawful hunting.
“Following lines of enquiry, Police from Cromwell and Queenstown executed search warrants early yesterday morning (Wednesday, 27 May) at addresses in Cromwell and Lake Hayes,” a Police spokesperson says.
The two youths have been referred to a youth justice process.
One of the youths is a firearms licence holder and Police say they seized this licence as well as firearms during the execution of the search warrant.
Police also recovered antlers, which the spokesperson says were believed to have belonged to the two stags. These are being returned to the Bendigo owner.
Police urge report poaching
Police are urging anyone who’s been a victim of poaching to report this amid what they say is an ongoing issue across the wider district.
While they’re pleased to have caught the two alleged young offenders to hold them to account, they say they’re “disappointed with unlawful hunting occurring in the first place”.
“Unfortunately, poaching and unlawful hunting continues to be an ongoing issue across the wider district,” a Police spokesperson says.
Hunting without explicit permission from a landowner, farmer, or forestry manager is illegal. On public conservation land, a Department of Conservation (DOC) permit is mandatory.
Police say the laws are in place not only for personal safety reasons, but also for the flow on effect from the damage caused to rural residents, farmers’ properties and trophy hunting businesses.
Anybody who’s been a victim of poaching is urged to make a report to Police via 105
Police urge anybody who has been a victim of poaching to make a report to Police via 105. People can call or ‘make a report’ on the website online.
Searle Lane assault
A 30-year-old Rotorua man has been charged with injures with intent to injure after an alleged assault in Searle Lane at 1.20am on Saturday, 23 May. Constable Amanda Shute says the offender has allegedly punched the male victim in the face three times, causing an injury to the victim’s mouth. The Rotorua man will appear in the Queenstown District Court on Monday.
Hang on to your passport!
Police are urging ski season partygoers and visitors using their passport for ID to keep it on their person at all times while out enjoying
the bars and clubs. Senior Sergeant Glenn Wilkinson says missing passports can be a prevalent problem during the winter season, whether they’ve been accidentally picked up by someone or stolen, especially when left in jackets that people have hung up or removed while in a bar.
“If their passport is their only ID then that becomes a major. We get a lot of that,” Wilkinson says.
“People can get up the next day and realise they’ve left their jacket behind, or their jacket is missing, go back to the bar and it’s not there,” he says. “They may have flights to catch and have to go through the whole procedure to get a new passport. Never leave valuables of any kind in a jacket,” he says.
Police often have passports, driver’s licences and cellphones handed in and generally people are very honest. “But if you’re missing your passport and you have a flight to catch, especially if it’s an overseas passport from a foreign country, that can be a major,” he says. Keep valuables in your pocket, not out of sight and not in your jacket once you’ve taken it off.
Police urge label your ski gear
Police are warning skiers and snowboarders to be clear it’s their gear, by labelling boards and skis with their name and phone number before heading up the mountain this year.
With the ski season underway locally from tomorrow (Friday, 29 May) Senior Sergeant Glenn Wilkinson says Police get a lot of cases of people picking up the wrong skis or board. “Sometimes they’ve been stolen but it can also be accidental if the skis or board look just the same, particularly if they’re rentals,” he says. “People then have no idea how to get that gear back to its rightful owner,” Wilkinson says. “We get gear handed in to the station and there’s no way of returning it.” It’s just common sense to name your gear with a contact number clearly marked, he says.
20km/hr passing a stationary school bus
Police are warning they’ll be out targeting drivers who break the 20km/hr speed limit when passing a stationary school bus that’s dropping off or picking up schoolchildren. Shute says they want to remind drivers to slow down to 20km/hr even if they are on the other side of the road.
“Police will be out monitoring speeds on local bus routes,” she says.
Moderate injuries - Coronet Peak Road
A person was flown to Lakes District Hospital with moderate injuries by the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter after an accident on Coronet Peak Road just after 1:40pm on Saturday, 23 May, a St John Ambulance spokesperson says.
