Michael Massie, 20, has been sentenced at Christchurch District Court for taking police on a 700km chase across the South Island.

UPDATED: Alleged thief arrested thanks to victim’s detective work

0
5788

An alleged thief has been arrested thanks to the detective skills of an upset motel manager.

At around 11am yesterday, a man walked into The Admiral Motor Inn on Waimea Road, taking a number of personal items belonging to the motel’s release manager, including a laptop, wallet and keys.

However, the motel manager identified the alleged thief through CCTV footage on his phone and later saw the offending man in Richmond Mall.

The manager followed the offender who got onto a bus and travelled back into Nelson, getting off at Franklyn Village.

The motel manager then called Nelson Police who located the man in Franklyn Village around 7pm, along with some of the stolen property.

The man is in Police custody and due to appear in Nelson District Court on Monday charged with burglary.

Police are applauding the manager for his actions, and thank him for his information and quick thinking which have helped Police make a quick arrest in this case.