Phone lets police in on duo's decoy ruse

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

But a North Shore woman who allegedly invented an armed robbery to divert police attention away from her was betrayed by her iPhone.

Police say they found the woman with some friends at a carpark in Takapuna shortly after bars closed about 1am yesterday.

North Shore area commander Inspector Les Paterson said a member of the public had called police about noise. When they arrived they found a group of four people drinking by a car.

Mr Paterson said police spoke to the 22-year-old woman and breath-tested her. She was allegedly found to be about one and a half times the legal limit and told police she would take a taxi home.

Moments later police were called to reports - which they allege were made by the woman - of masked men with guns on the forecourt of a service station about 500m away. Mr Paterson said the woman, who was by then with only one man, had "the brief pleasure of watching a bunch of police cars whiz past".

"They then jumped in their car intending to drive off in the opposite direction but a police officer took a detour on a hunch and located them," he said.

"When he confronted the duo they denied making the hoax call so the police communications centre redialled the phone used to make the 111 call. To the young woman's embarrassment the phone she was holding began ringing. She then admitted her actions."

The woman is to appear in the North Shore District Court next week charged with making a false complaint and trying to drive with excess breath alcohol.