Man admits $47,000 wine theft

Photo / APN

A Bay of Plenty man stole $47,150 of wine destined for the export market then sold it to wholesalers and liquor stores to make some quick money.

Jason Luke Ngamata, 19, of Gate Pa, pleaded guilty to six charges of theft by a person in a special relationship in Tauranga District Court yesterday.

He was remanded on bail by Judge Merelina Burnett pending sentence on October 9.

The court was told Ngamata had worked as a forklift driver at Delegat's Winery Estate in Glendene, Auckland, between January 2011 and January this year.

Over an eight-to-nine month period during that time, Ngamata helped himself to case loads of wine destined for the export market estimated to be worth $47,150.

That included on two occasions hiring a truck, and with the help of associates, loading cases and pallets of wine into it, and selling it at various wholesalers and liquor stores.

In November last year, Delegat's installed surveillance cameras in its warehouse after it noticed stock missing and in January Ngamata was caught on camera stealing wine.

When he was later confronted by police he admitted his offending, and had the charges transferred to Tauranga where he now lives.