The mate to the huia that was stolen from the Dannevirke Gallery of History. The display case could not be seen on CCTV at the time of the theft. Photo / NZME
The mate to the huia that was stolen from the Dannevirke Gallery of History. The display case could not be seen on CCTV at the time of the theft. Photo / NZME
A judge has returned a not guilty verdict to a man accused of taking part in a theft of a huia bird from a Dannevirke museum.
Police alleged that Jayden Paewai acted as a lookout during the July 2020 theft
Paewai's co-defendant, Dean Mudgway, earlier pleaded guilty to the theft.
The huia was one of a pair kept in a display case in the Dannevirke Gallery of History.
Its value was assessed at between $15,000 and $20,000, but its historical value was even more significant.
They ended up at the museum where he was able to look around.
He told the court he found the history of Dannevirke interesting.
In CCTV footage of the hallway, Paewai was seen hovering while Mudgway signed the visitors' book.
A judge in Dannevirke District Court has returned a not-guilty verdict to a man accused of taking part in a theft of a huia from a local museum. Photo NZME
He told the court Mudgway had told him he would sign him in, but Mudgway signed them in under false names.
In other footage of the main room, the two men could be seen wandering in and out.
The display case with the bird pair was just below the range of the camera, so could not be seen.
Paewai could be seen walking around the museum and police inferred he'd been acting as a lookout for Mudgway.
However, Paewai argued they'd been there too long and he was bored.
