Dean Thomas Herd (36), farm manager, of Motueka, pleaded guilty to 26 charges relating to stock rustling and other thefts.
Most of the charges were jointly laid with a second man from Wanaka. The charges relate to thefts of 441 deer, along with merino wethers, deer velvet, sheep, and barley from Criffel Deer Ltd, Criffel Station or Grant Cochrane between January 2005 and December last year.
Herd admitted 11 charges of deer thefts and seven thefts of deer velvet. Other charges included theft of 90 Romdale sheep, 36 merino wethers, 11 stags, and 10 tonnes of barley.
He also admitted stealing a Cydectin drench, valued at $1750, an Aspire computer, a Heineger shearing handpiece and a German GPS, valued at $3600, all property of Criffel Deer Ltd. All charges were laid indictably.
Defence counsel Sonia Vidal requested Herd be arraigned on all counts after amendments were made to the indictable charges.
Herd, when he appeared before Judge Michael Turner in the Queenstown District Court in January, had admitted five charges of deer thefts, totalling $81,167.69, and one representative charge of stealing a trophy stag, worth $1200.
Herd was convicted on the 26 charges and remanded on bail to appear in Invercargill for a call-over on August 9 to organise a sentencing date. The Wanaka man jointly charged with Herd is defending the charges, and was excused from appearing in court yesterday. He was also remanded to appear in the Invercargill District Court on August 9.
