Fugitive gives himself up for girlfriend

A fugitive on the run for a month gave himself up to police in return for 30 minutes alone with his girlfriend.

Stuart Methven, 22, who had been on the run since April 11 when he removed an electronic bail device, called police last weekend to broker the deal and agreed to give himself up on Sunday night, the Taranaki Daily News reported.

His girlfriend, Donna McGuigan-Atua, who was already in police cells after being arrested on April 15 when police spotted Methven and her in a car, was reunited with Methven on Monday morning.

McGuigan-Atua, 48, who was released on bail the next day, said the couple shared a passionate embrace and Methven kissed her when he entered the cell.

They spent the time talking and did not have sex, she said.

"We talked, there was nothing else. He told me he was sorry for me being in there."

Senior Sergeant Selwyn Wansbrough said supervised visits were not unusual.

"There's always limits to these supervised visits. They were in a cell where cameras were monitoring them," Mr Wansbrough said.

Methven appeared in the New Plymouth District Court on Monday facing charges of burglary, assaulting police, possessing ammunition and breaching bail.

- NZPA