Police admit 'monstrous mistake' with mislaid camera

Police say they made a "monstrous mistake" when they left a digital camera containing hundreds of images of crime scenes at a Lower Hutt house during the execution of a drugs search warrant last year.

Police had later retrieved the camera, but not before Stokes Valley man Chris Kidman copied the images and attempted to sell them to the media today.

The images included dead and decaying bodies and victims of domestic violence.

At least 16 people were identified in the pictures.

Wellington Police district commander Superintendent Pieri Munro apologised to the people who could be identified from the images.

"It's of concern to me that the images were not in police possession, that the camera was mislaid by one of our staff. It's unacceptable, it's not good enough."

The police camera was mislaid at a Lower Hutt address on December 1 last year, he said at a press conference this afternoon.

An inquiry began the next day, and police were notified on December 4 that a person had found the camera, which was promptly returned.

Police were told by media today the images had been copied by Mr Kidman.

It was believed Mr Kidman had connections to the person who returned the camera.

Mr Munro said police were attempting to find the people whose images may be identifiable on the camera, and apologise to them.

"This is a mistake that my staff made. We're accountable for that, I accept that."

It was not as if any other person had seen or downloaded the images, he said.

It was the second incident of mislaid police property in as many days, after it was yesterday revealed police had left a restricted document with members of the Mongrel Mob during a police raid last month.

Public confidence was shaken by the two incidents, Mr Munro said.

"We've made two monstrous mistakes. They were unrelated, quite different circumstances.

"I'm disappointed, we are embarrassed as a result."

Mr Munro confirmed that following the camera's return to police, police prosecutors made a submission to a judge regarding a case close to the person who returned the camera.

Mr Munro denied that that the person had blackmailed police into accepting a plea bargain for an uncle facing unrelated drugs and firearms charges.

"There was no plea bargaining here. What did happen was that police - which is not unusual in a police case - made a formal letter submission to the judge. It was not a plea bargain, it was at the discretion on the judge."

Mr Munro was unable to comment on the contents of the letter.

Yesterday it was revealed that a sensitive police manual, containing details of a woman whose complaint led to eviction notices being served on Mongrel Mob members, had been left at a gang house in Farmer Crescent, Pomare, Lower Hutt during a raid on February 11.

It also showed the names and responsibilities of 50 officers working on the case, a risk assessment of the street, details of how raids would be carried out and the radio call signs police used to identify themselves.

That slip up was the second at Farmer Cres after Housing New Zealand was found to have released documents to those it had served with eviction notices.

Those documents included the address of a senior staff member and a former neighbour, relocated after threats and intimidation.

- NZPA