A young man who posed as a police officer at a massage parlour while his friend helped himself to the contents of people's handbags has escaped a prison sentence.
Labour Arepa Tauariki will serve seven months on home detention after being sentenced at the Auckland District Court for impersonating a police officer and theft charges.
The court heard the offences occurred when Tauariki and a friend went to a massage parlour in Mt Albert, Auckland.
Tauariki's friend flashed a badge at one of the workers and Tauariki took down another woman's details while the friend went through handbags.
The 20-year-old has been the subject of two probation reports, the first of which recommended a prison sentence.