A car stolen from an address in Papamoa was recovered by police some 270km away in Kaponga - leading to two separate prosecutions.
Both cases were heard in the Hawera District Court yesterday.
The court heard a 2007 Suzuki Swift, valued at $7500, was taken "by persons unknown" sometime in the morning of June 7 this year.
At around 3pm on June 9, police discovered the stolen vehicle - with its number plates, licence label and warrant of fitness sticker all removed - outside a garage at Jared Michael Roberst's address in Kaponga, Taranaki.
The 22-year-old farmhand admitted receiving the vehicle, saying he knew the car was probably stolen and he had bought it for $350, intending to use it as a "farm hack".