Hoax 111 caller to pay $13,000

An early-morning hoax call that prompted a large-scale armed offender squad deployment was attention-seeking on the part of a lonely, drunk man, a judge has said.

In the Whakatane District Court Judge Peter Rollo ordered Robert Harold Moyer, 66, to pay $13,275 toward the cost of the $26,000 police response after he was found guilty of making a false statement.

Moyer maintained his innocence throughout.

His defence was one of non-insane automatism.

Automatism can cause temporary delirium brought on by lack of oxygen to the brain. According to the defence, that explained why Moyer could not recall making most of the calls.

Judge Rollo dismissed this theory, deciding that Moyer had been more intoxicated than he would admit when he made the calls, and that he had not been truthful about his recollection.

Moyer made four 111 calls in the early hours of January 1 - the third lasted 26 minutes and was played in court at the defended hearing.

During the call, Moyer told the operator he had blown the head off his former partner Pam Smith with a 12-gauge shotgun and her body was in her car in his driveway.

two helicopters filled with armed offender squad officers were sent from Taupo and Tauranga to Kutarere, 26km east of Whatatane.

On arrival at Moyer's Kutarere home, they found no violent act had taken place.

Investigations found Ms Smith safe at home and unaware of what had taken place. Moyer was arrested.

- NZPA