Remains found on beach identified, police link cash at site to Christmas Eve burglary

Flowers were left at Leithfield Beach, North Canterbury, where human remains were discovered on January 6. Photo / Kurt Bayer

Police have identified a person whose remains were found at a North Canterbury beach in early January and linked cash found around the same time at the same site to a burglary in December.

Detective Sergeant Dan Isherwood said the human remains found at Hurunui's Leithfield Beach on January 6 were those of 37-year-old Lewis Jarred Robertson.

"Our thoughts go out to Lewis's family and friends, who have asked for privacy at this time."

Items of cash were also found by the public in different locations at the beach over several days around the same time as Robertson's remains were found.

Isherwood said the cash has been connected to a burglary at The Warehouse, Richmond, on or about December 24.

"Inquiries are ongoing into this offence."

A member of the public found Robertson's then unidentified remains on the morning of January 6 and alerted police around 8.30am.

The remains had washed ashore and police called for information relating to the matter from the public.

Flowers were left at Leithfield Beach, North Canterbury, where human remains were discovered on January 6. Photo / Kurt Bayer

Flowers were placed at the North Canterbury beach as police continued their inquiries, including searching along the Amberley and Leithfield coastline.

Significant investigative work had been carried out into the matter by the North Canterbury CIB, Isherwood said, and Robertson's death was not being treated as suspicious.

The Hawke's Bay Today reported in 2019 that Robertson was from Hastings and been jailed after breaking into a house on a Hastings orchard on January 8 that year.

The media report said Robertson had disabled the alarm and taken a load of firearms, a cash card and two jewellery-filled safes while the owners were on holiday.

His defence counsel, Clint Rickards, told Judge Peter Butler at the Hastings District Court that Robertson was "going through a rough time" and that the burglary was "opportunistic" rather than pre-meditated as he was staying down the road.

Judge Butler disagreed that the burglary was opportunistic and sentenced Robertson to two years and three months in prison.