A man who walked away with thousands of dollars of electrical items, groceries and other goods in a pre-Christmas shoplifting spree in Hawke's Bay has been remanded in custody for sentencing after a belated admission of the extent of the offences.
Jamie Russell Waapu, 36, pleaded guilty to 11 charges in Napier District Court on Tuesday. He had already been in custody for more than five months after his arrest in Napier on December 22 on suspicion of a string of offences at The Warehouse and Pak'n Save, including three involving trolley loads of goods each time worth over $1200.
It was to have been a defended hearing, with previous not-guilty pleas to at least four of the charges. Six offences were committed in Napier, one in Hastings, two in Gisborne and two in Palmerston North.
Judge Tony Adeane scheduled sentencing for July 6.