Man accused of urinating on goods at supermarket, causing $15k loss

Two Countdown stores - Te Rapa, Hamilton, and Bethlehem, Tauranga - were allegedly targeted, along with the Warehouse in Matamata. Photo / Hayden Woodward

A man is accused of urinating on an aisle worth of groceries in a supermarket, causing nearly $15,000 in damaged stock, before going on to try and steal more than $2000 worth of goods he’d put in his trolley.

Duchaan Peter Priestly Fraser had tried to leave with $2128 worth of food items from Countdown Te Rapa, in Hamilton, on January 22 this year, in one of the multiple alleged thefts from the supermarket.

As well as facing a charge of theft from that incident, he’s also accused of urinating on groceries in an aisle at the supermarket on the same day.

For those alleged actions he’s charged with doing an indecent act and intentional damage of grocery stock, causing a loss of $14,957 to Countdown Te Rapa.

The 31-year-old appeared in the Hamilton District Court this afternoon, also charged with theft of groceries worth $2800 two days earlier, and $1500 worth of groceries on December 31, last year, both of which are alleged to have also occurred at Countdown Te Rapa.

He also faces a charge of theft of groceries from Bethlehem Countdown, Tauranga, on October 31, last year, totalling $1300, stealing camping, grooming, and perfume items valued at $1549.68 on January 2, this year and theft of a pool, worth $499, both times from The Warehouse in Matamata.

His lawyer, Rhiannon Scott, successfully applied for bail for the Hamilton man which was opposed by police.

However, Community Magistrate Ngaire Mascelle imposed a strict 24-hour curfew.

She remanded him on bail without plea to reappear in court on February 9.