A Northland man who allegedly stole a farm bike from a repair shop then crashed it less than a kilometre away has made a brief appearance in court.
Regan Coutts, of Whakapara, appeared in the Whangarei District Court yesterday on charges of assault, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, operating a vehicle carelessly and driving without the appropriate drivers licence.
The 22-year-old allegedly took a Polaris Ranger, a type of all terrain vehicle used mainly on farms, that was being worked on at Rouse Motorcycles in Hikurangi last Wednesday.
The bike was found less than 1km away a short time later, crashed and on its side. Police caught up with Coutts later the same day.
Coutts will reappear in the Whangarei District Court on February 10.