One of the men charged in relation to stock rustling in Wanaka admitted six of the 27 charges he faces when he appeared before Judge Michael Turner in the Queenstown District Court yesterday.
Dean Thomas Herd (36), farm manager, of Motueka, faces 24 charges jointly laid with Simon Robert Hawkins (28), of Wanaka.
The charges relate to thefts valued at almost $300,000 of deer, along with merino wethers, deer velvet, hoggets, hard antler and barley from Criffel Deer Ltd, Criffel Station or Grant Cochrane.
All charges were laid indictably.
Defence counsel Sonia Vidal, representing Herd, said her client wished to admit six of the charges he faced.
"The remaining matters are to go to a post-committal conference."
He admitted five charges of deer thefts, totalling $81,167.69, and one representative charge of stealing a trophy stag, worth $1200.
All charges were dated between January and December last year.
Herd also faces three charges on his own - stealing Cydectin drench, valued at $1750, property of Criffel Deer Ltd, between May 1, 2008, and June 1, 2011, at Wanaka; stealing deer velvet, valued at $1980.55, property of Criffel Deer Ltd, on or about March 19, 2000, at Wanaka; and stealing an Aspire computer, a Heineger shearing handpiece and a German GPS, valued at $3600, property of Criffel Deer Ltd.
Ms Vidal asked for Herd to be remanded to a post-committal conference in the Nelson District Court and said her client would surrender his passport by 5pm yesterday to that court.
Judge Turner remanded Herd on bail, with conditions including a non-association order with Hawkins, to April 24 at the Nelson District Court, although "it won't be where the trial is held".
Defence counsel Phena Byrne said Hawkins "vehemently denies" the charges facing him and the matter would proceed to trial.
"Mr Hawkins was the person who went to police in September of last year with one of the complainants to outline his involvement."
She said Hawkins had been under investigation before Christmas and was informed he would be formally charged just before the new year.
While police wanted Hawkins' passport to be surrendered, Ms Byrne said her client had held his passport until now and was "not a flight risk".
"He is a New Zealander, he carries a New Zealand passport and he's resided in Wanaka for the past 15 or 16 years.
"He is married with two [young] children ... He is well known in the community ...
"There is absolutely nothing before you to suggest he will not turn up to court."
Judge Turner remanded Hawkins to a post-committal conference in the Queenstown District Court on April 24, but did not order him to surrender his passport.
The charges
Between January 1, 2005, and December 1, 2011, Dean Thomas Herd and Simon Robert Hawkins are accused of stealing.
- 633 deer, valued at $278,523.77.
- 90 hoggets, valued at $16,200.
- 34 merino wethers, valued at $3400.
- 11 stags, valued at $10,000.
- One trophy stag, valued at $1200.
- Deer velvet, valued at $1100.
- Barley, valued at $160.
- Hard antler, valued at $1500.
