Police still seeking stolen Hotere drawing

Police are still trying to trace a Ralph Hotere drawing that a Dunedin man has been convicted of stealing.

The drawing, Black Window, valued at $18,000, was the subject of a long-running court case that ended in Dunedin yesterday.

A 55-year-old businessman, who denied stealing the drawing after it was entrusted to him for repairs, was convicted in Dunedin District Court, fined $2500 and ordered to pay $18,000 in reparation.

The businessman was granted interim name suppression until noon today to allow his lawyer to file an appeal against Judge Gary MacAskill's refusal to grant him permanent name suppression. An appeal was filed in the High Court this morning.

The case was part-heard in December and adjourned to allow an expert witness to establish a valuation for the drawing that has never been found.

In court yesterday, former Dunedin art gallery owner Marshall Seifert gave evidence that at the time the drawing was stolen its fair market value was about $18,000.

Mr Seifert said he'd not seen the drawing but had assessed the value of many of Hotere's works over the years.

In December, the owner, who has been granted permanent name suppression, told the court that Black Window was one of three drawings given to her by Hotere as a birthday present.

In April 2001, she allowed the businessman to take away the drawing to fix the glass in its frame and the drawing that was returned to her was not the Black Window.

The businessman claimed another Hotere drawing, Window in Spain, which he returned to the owner in April last year was the drawing she had allowed him to take for repair.

After the businessman was convicted yesterday, his lawyer, Ina Stewart, said it was her instruction that Window in Spain was the Hotere drawing he originally received. The man had no record of dishonesty, she said.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Paul Knox told NZPA today the file on the missing drawing remained open.

Asked if police were still looking for the drawing, Mr Knox said: "Yes we are."

- NZPA