Guilty plea in $1.2m cars, art and clothing theft case

A 26-year-old has pleaded guilty to the theft of more than $1 million of high-performance cars and expensive art works.

Drew Norman was one of 10 people facing a combined 297 charges laid after a seven-month police investigation into an alleged crime ring.

Norman and four co-accused have pleaded guilty to a total of 122 charges following a depositions hearing in the High Court at Auckland.

Norman admitted the aggravated robberies of two Chubb security vans using a firearm and several burglaries, including a raid on Car Haulaways in Otahuhu that netted $1 million worth of vehicles.

He also pleaded guilty to a $150,000 burglary of European clothing store Etage in Newmarket and stealing three artworks worth $50,000 from the International Art Centre in Parnell.

Nicholas Jones, 27, pleaded guilty to 29 charges, including a charge of escaping from a Chubb security van last month.

Richard Tikitiki, 27, pleaded guilty to 18 charges; Christopher Wise, 27, pleaded guilty to 11 charges; and Justin Abel, 23, pleaded guilty to 21 charges.

Police said guilty pleas at deposition hearings can reduce custodial sentences by up to 30 per cent.

Five other men - Michael Baleitavuki, 28, Travis Lowe, 29, Paul Robinson, 23, Che Tarau, 26, and George Haslam, 27 - have been committed to face trial next year on a combined 102 charges.

Baleitavuki, Lowe and Robinson are due to appear in the Auckland District Court tomorrow charged with escaping from the same Chubb security van as Jones.