A Dunedin man was found hiding under a duvet in the back of a car before being arrested for stealing a charity donation box.
On March 19, last year, Arlen Nesta Hand, 27, was staying at the Leviathan Hotel in Dunedin when he spotted a Community Hospice donation box.
One month later a vehicle was stopped in relation to the theft as Hand hid under a duvet in the back seat.
Police knew the man to be a risk of escape, so they placed him in handcuffs.
But Hand broke free and led police on a chase down an embankment, through two paddocks, one fence and a drain.
Police pepper sprayed the man which led to his arrest.
The defendant denied any involvement in the theft and said he fled because he was "afraid of going to jail".
Hand was convicted of theft, breaching community work and four charges relating to his attempted escape from police.
He was sentenced to six months’ community detention, 12 months’ supervision, disqualified from driving for a year and ordered to pay $20 reparation.
