KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's notorious New Year's Eve bandit "The Birdman" has struck again and, as the police struggle to apprehend him, his cavalier exploits seem to be lifting him to the realms of folk hero, especially with drunk women.
This year, it is rumoured that The Birdman attended at least 12 New Year's Eve parties uninvited. With his legendary disguise, he was able to enter undetected and pash as many people as possible, before consuming hundreds of dollars worth of free alcohol and pointless finger food.
"We had heard about The Birdman but never really thought he would attend our party," said Brenda McBride, of Glen Eden.
Brenda admits to pashing The Birdman but denies rumours she offered him finger food.
Detective Glyn Rickets, who has followed the exploits of The Birdman since 1997, said his pattern of behaviour was always the same: "He normally strikes around midnight, a calculated move to ensure he gets to pash as many strangers as possible. He then drinks as much free alcohol as he can and leaves, taking a large recycling bin full of beers, wines and spirits."
Often The Birdman will attend another party nearby and wind the clocks back in the kitchen as this is where most people seem to hang out, to give him the chance to strike again.
Many party-goers, preferring to comment off the record, said The Birdman was an incredibly good pasher for his age and they didn't mind too much that often he tried to "cop a bit of a feel while he was at it".
Interestingly, this view was shared by male and female party-goers, which is a testament to his growing appeal.
"It's a bit like the Scarlet Pimpernel," said Dr Regan Hunter, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Auckland Hospital. "Many people, especially women, fantasise about who it might be behind the mysterious mask. Like the character Zorro, or Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne and to a lesser extent Dick Grayson [Robin], they like to see a bit of The Birdman in their own partners."
But Detective Rickets doesn't share this romantic notion: "The Birdman is a notorious criminal, and he might appeal to some people, but so does killer Ned Kelly to stupid Australians."
Auckland University professor Dr Conrad Connors lectures on The Birdman at Canterbury University, and is considered by many to be the country's foremost expert on the subject. "In this busy pre-apocalyptic world, the laissez-faire attitude and life of The Birdman appeals to many, especially males who are married with two or more children," he said.
"Many males would like nothing more than to attend party after party with little or no responsibility. There is a primal urge within most of us to drink copious amounts of alcohol and pash as many people as we like, but as we know this isn't always possible."
And Connors is speaking from first- hand experience. His wife left him last year after she caught him naked in the washhouse at a party. Connors was caught gyrating on top of a Gentle Annie having a bourbon-infused threesome with his wife's best friend and a female noise control officer.
Connors now lives alone in a furniture showroom while he waits for his off-the-plans leaky apartment to be completed.
Over the years, there has been much speculation as to the true identity of The Birdman and many high-profile New Zealand personalities have been put forward as the mysterious bandit.
Broadcaster Mark Sainsbury denied he was The Birdman when his name was mentioned in the tabloids in the summer of 2002. Although he fitted the description, and the sample mask with elastic strap, he had solid alibis for all but three reported incidents.
Good Morning's Brendon Pongia has the tall, dark and handsome Zorro-esque look to fit the bill, but most experts claim he would be unable to put away so much booze. This was proven when police forced him to drink a bottle of vodka and 27 stubbies of Rheineck under stopwatch conditions during one of their many interviews with him.
Other suspects have included Cameron Bennett, Grant Nisbett, Eric Watson, Jason Gunn and international movie star Christopher Walken, but most of the evidence points to somebody I can't mention as he asked me for name suppression.
The last credible sighting this year was at the Connors' New Year's Eve party in Meadowbank where, after pashing hosts Lorraine and Brian, he left amid a thick haze he created by simply pouring another bottle of vodka into the party punch. The act of spiking the party punch before he leaves is a signature move, and one that is incredibly frustrating to the police as it serves to dull the memories of potential witnesses.
If you think your party may have been infiltrated by The Birdman, Mr Rickets would like to hear from you and photos would be helpful.
