Four of eight people facing charges over an alleged violent kidnapping near Arrowtown late last year were caught breaching bail conditions on Easter Sunday.
Rachel Faul (20), Jonathan Burke (26), Brodie O'Rourke (23) and Michael Coulter (25) were pulled over by police on Hillside Rd, near Manapouri, at 2.20pm on Sunday for not wearing seatbelts.
The four had breached bail conditions set early last month at the Queenstown District Court of not associating with each another before pre-trial hearings on April 23 in Invercargill. Three of the four appeared in Invercargill District Court on Monday.
Coulter appeared, without plea, before a Justice of the Peace in the Alexandra District Court yesterday, charged with giving a false statement of his identity to the officer who had pulled the car over.
Sergeant Steven Watt, of Queenstown, said the occupants of the car had been drinking, but the driver had not exceeded any breath-alcohol limits.
He said the four had been travelling south as a "last get-together" before appearing in court.
The four will now appear in Invercargill this Friday, on breach of bail charges, as well as the original charges of kidnapping and aggravated assault on Jason Maynard (28).
Faul also faces charges of reckless driving and offering to supply the Class B drug, ecstasy, in November.
O'Rourke is remanded on bail. The three others were remanded in custody until Friday.
A charge of kidnapping was withdrawn against Burke, who is expected to appear in the Queenstown District Court next month, on an amended assault charge.
