French visitor admits sleeping bag theft
Fractious Frenchman Cedric Claude Rene Rault-Verpre has now pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a sleeping bag in Auckland, days after admitting damaging a West Coast road sign.
He was remanded in the Christchurch District Court today for a case review hearing on October 4, when a date will be set for a hearing about the amount of damage he caused.
Police prosecutor Bronwen Blackmore said police opposed Rault-Verpre’s release on bail, but Judge Brian Callaghan decided it could be granted.
He said Rault-Verpre would have to report to the Christchurch Police on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and would have to surrender his passport to the court. The police already have the passport.
The 27-year-old, who has been working in New Zealand, pleaded guilty to the wilful damage charge on Tuesday, after he attacked a road sign in Punakaiki.
He was remanded to appear in the Christchurch District Court today, and turned up before 10am with his backpack.
Soon after arrival he was taken into the Court House cells, and then on to the Christchurch Central Police Station to be questioned and charged with another offence.
He was back at the Court House a few hours later facing a charge of stealing a $999 sleeping bag from Kathmandu in Broadway, Auckland, on September 9.
After pleading guilty to the original charge before a registrar in Greymouth on Tuesday, he suggested that New Zealand should change its name to “Nazi Zealand”.
It was alleged Rault-Verpre pulled one sign out of the ground and threw it in the nearby Punakaiki River and hurled large rocks at another sign. Witnesses told police he had verbally abused tourists and locals. Fulton Hogan were seeking $3000 reparations for the damaged sign, but Rault-Verpre said it was already damaged.
Rault-Verpre said he had been frustrated after trying for four days to hitchhike out of the area.
Duty lawyer Andrew McKenzie said Rault-Verpre admitted damaging the sign, but said it was already damaged and he questioned the $3000 repair bill. The half-day hearing will try to establish how much damage was caused.
Rault-Verpre is in New Zealand on a working visa.
At one stage during today’s hearing, Rault-Verpre snapped his fingers to get the attention of his duty lawyer.
Later on Friday, an overseas donor apparently paid the $4000 in reparations at Rault-Verpre owed — having seen the publicity about the case — and he was discharged without any further penalty, and able to leave the court.
Category: News
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