Police deny fugitive's claim arrest orchestrated

Police have dismissed former fugitive William Stewart's claims that he "orchestrated" his arrest so the "outcome wouldn't be terminal".

Stewart was on the run from police in Canterbury from October 2008 until he was captured on May 27 last year. He became known as "Billy the Hunted One" and was even the subject of a song.

"On the day I was apprehended, I felt it was time to kick my lag off and end the craziness," Stewart wrote in a letter to The Press. "I orchestrated my capture so that the outcome wouldn't be terminal.

"The police must have realised at anytime I could have driven the four-wheel-drive into a paddock and jogged off down the river."

Christchurch South area commander Malcolm Johnston rubbished the claim.

"Stewart may be considering that it was an orchestrated surrender.

"However, if police have to pursue an offender down a gravel road at 130 kilometres an hour and if police have one of their cars rammed and if police have to put tear gas into a vehicle to get Stewart out, then the words 'orchestrated surrender' aren't quite how we would describe his apprehension," Mr Johnston told the newspaper.

Stewart, jailed for seven years and four months for his crime spree, said he regretted his actions.

"To those people [I robbed from] I say 'sorry'."

He gave details of his time on the run and said he was helped by members of the public, but never gave anyone up.

"I must say, I ate extremely well, the public were very, very generous," he said.

- NZPA