Name suppression lifted for 'Sione' movie accused

Frederick Junior Higgins faces charges relating to theft and piracy. Picture / Brett Phibbs

The man charged with stealing an unfinished copy of the hit film Sione's Wedding has been named following his first appearance in court.

He is 38-year-old Frederick Junior Higgins, a former employee at a post-production company.

Higgins is charged with stealing a copy of Sione's Wedding between September and October last year and stealing a DVD disc valued at $2.50. Both items were the property of Digital Post.

He faces a third charge of being in possession of a pirated copy of the film and either distributing it or causing the distribution of it.

Producers of the film claim they lost up to $500,000 as a result of pirated copies before the film's cinema release in March.

It is alleged many copies of Sione's Wedding had been distributed in South Auckland.

Last week an Otara man was charged following a raid at his home where more than 250 pirated films, including Sione's Wedding, were found.

The investigation which led to his arrest stemmed from a tip received following a plea for information about the theft of a copy from the post-production house.

Higgins, who has thick black dreadlocks which hang to his ankles, did not enter a plea when he appeared in court yesterday.

He was remanded on bail to June 27. An application for interim name suppression until that date was declined but Higgins was given suppression until midnight last night so he could inform his family.