Cheesed-off milkman delivers teen to police station

A Wellington milkman made a different delivery than usual when an intoxicated teenager jumped in the back of his truck.

Tuhono Thomason, 18, who listed his occupation as league player, had been out drinking on December 11 and was on Willis Street around 5.30am.

When the truck pulled over to make a delivery, Thomason had offered to help unload crates, "maybe hoping to get a chocolate milk or cheese," as a reward, defence counsel Paul Knowsley told Wellington District Court today.

His proposal was not accepted and as the driver made his delivery, Thomason climbed in the back of the truck.

The driver returned and spotted him, but instead of removing Thomason, he got back in the cab and drove about 60 metres to Wellington police station.

"He probably had the dubious honour of being the only person to be delivered to the police station in a milk truck rather than a paddywagon," Mr Knowsley said, offering an explanation for why his client had acted aggressively when informed by waiting officers that he was under arrest.

Thomason pleaded guilty to a charge of resisting police, unlawfully entering a motor vehicle and wilfully damaging a bag of feta cheese worth $50.

A charge of assaulting police was dropped.

Judge Thomas Broadmore said Thomason would be given a lenient sentence as, "you will be by no means the first intoxicated man to think to grab a bottle of milk from a passing truck".

Thomason was given 180 hours community work, six months supervision, and paid $50 reparation for the cheese.

- NZPA