Man admits parking meter damage

A Christchurch man has admitted causing $400,000 damage by ram-raiding Christchurch's new-style parking meters.

Police have said that Alan William Hayward, a 32-year-old labourer, got about $20,000 cash from the raids, committed last year using unlawfully taken four-wheel drive vehicles.

Hayward was due to defend 42 charges against him in Christchurch District Court in three weeks time but defence counsel Gerald Lascelles today got permission from Judge Gary MacAskill for Hayward to change his pleas to guilty, the Christchurch Court New website reported.

He has spent months in custody since his arrest.

The charges included unlawfully taking nine vehicles, all four-wheel drive Nissano Terranos used to carry out the ram-raids.

Police today laid further charges of damaging more parking meters, stealing $1000 cash from Christchurch City Council - the contents of meters - and being part of a criminal conspiracy to commit thefts and criminal damage. The criminal conspiracy charge names two other people.

The court was told that Hayward damaged about 40 parking meters over two month period from September to November.

He obtained well over $1000 cash by knocking over three or four parking meters at a time. Sometimes the raids yielded less, and sometimes nothing at all.

Judge MacAskill today remanded Hayward in custody for sentencing on July 9 and ordered a pre-sentence report.

- NZPA