Hotel owner pays to find plausible 'conman'

Karamea Village Hotel proprietor Kevin Storer is hiring a private investigator to find a conman who, he says, weasled his way into the community, then allegedly stole a car and most of the contents of the hotel's safe.

The 39-year-old, who called himself Mike Crowley, also abandoned a Karamea woman.

Mr Storer said the conman turned up in the middle of last year, claiming to be an English tramper. He offered to do odd jobs in return for his board.

He began a relationship with one of the hotel's management staff and talked of opening a local art gallery.

"He had the gift of the gab, very plausible, very friendly, very adaptable," Mr Storer said.

In early December, while Mr and Mrs Storer were in Westport, $5000 was stolen from the hotel safe, and a family member's car taken.

At the same time, "Mr Crowley" disappeared, leaving his belongings at his new partner's home. She never heard from him again.

Police found the car outside the Christchurch casino, with $100 worth of parking tickets on the windscreen and the keys still in it.

Mr Storer said he had learned the conman had ripped off a Greymouth backpackers' and the police wanted to question him over $US1500 ($2840) missing from a Nelson flat. Also, "Mr Crowley" was a New Zealander.

Mr Storer said he now knew the man's real name and was arranging for a private investigator on the Greymouth case to act on his behalf, too.

Constable Alan Kees, of Karamea, said it was only suspected that the man was the thief.

- NZPA