'I did it' admission from beyond grave

The mystery of one of New Zealand's biggest unsolved crimes has finally been solved - prime suspect Wayne Beri did carry out the 1969 Christmas Eve Aulsebrooks biscuit factory payroll robbery in Christchurch.

Beri, a career criminal who claimed early links to international drug kingpin Mr Asia, makes the admission in a manuscript written in jail.

He died of a heart attack two years ago in Paparua Prison, having spent 28 years behind bars for drug-dealing and armed robbery.

The manuscript is now in the possession of his daughter, Michelle Beri, who is looking for a publisher.

Beri was charged with the $20,000 Aulsebrooks robbery, then New Zealand's largest hold-up, but the case was thrown out before the jury retired.

Ms Beri wants to save the details of the robbery to promote the book, and yesterday would not discuss in detail much of what her father says.

But a source who was close to Beri has confirmed he admits carrying it out.

Some of the money was laundered through a Christchurch hotel - it was sold at a discount to patrons.

A friend of Beri, Phil Brown, who also played in his Marist Western Suburbs rugby league team, was the paymaster at Aulsebrooks when it was robbed.

He told police he was attacked by two masked robbers. Police were always dubious about the story.

Brown committed suicide several years ago.

Ms Beri said yesterday that the 200-odd pages she had already read of the manuscript were fascinating.

It covers her father's criminal offending, and aspects of his personal life, including when Ms Beri's mother trapped him into admitting he was the father of her children.

Her mother taped Beri suggesting he pay her maintenance under the table. It was an admission that he had fathered the children, and Ms Beri's mother took the taped conversation to a lawyer.

The manuscript also tells of Beri's well-known generous side.

Ms Beri said when a businessman was jailed for three months, her father organised for a gun to be smuggled into prison. The gun was given to the businessman, who handed it into prison authorities. For his good deed he was released from prison.

"Dad was like that. He knew the man's business would be ruined if he was in jail for three months so he got him out," she said.

Ms Beri has released some brief snippets of her father's manuscript.

In it Beri writes of robbing a finance company in Brisbane.

"As I was on my own I couldn't take any chances. I went straight over to the biggest guy and hit him in the face with the gun - I had to show who was boss. That did the trick. They couldn't open the safe fast enough."

He also regretted his life of crime.

"To this day I curse myself for getting involved, firstly with cannabis, then heroin.

"Drug-dealing was something I knew little of. It has cost me so much of my life, in and out of jail."

- CHRISTCHURCH STAR