'Sweat-drinking tree dweller' fined for wasting police time

Arnold Reedy

An accountant who claimed he survived for up to four weeks living in a tree and drinking his own sweat after being swept out to sea has received 250 hours' community work and been fined $4000 for wasting police time.

In the Manukau District Court, Arnold Reedy, 42, of Mangere, admitted wasting police time and careless use of a motor vehicle.

According to police, Reedy left his home on February 25 last year, after a row with his wife over gambling debts. He contacted her a few days later, claiming he was not coming back and was considering harming himself.

Then, on February 29, Reedy spun his station wagon in the Kaiaua area, south of Auckland, and came to rest in a tidal estuary on the Firth of Thames.

Bleeding from a wound to his head, Reedy escaped from the vehicle, only to be swept out to sea.

His vehicle was later found, by chance, by a volunteer fire brigade responding to weather callouts.

A police search and rescue operation - including helicopters, dog teams and divers - was launched, but no trace of Reedy was found.

Almost five weeks later Reedy turned up at Auckland Hospital for treatment for his injuries.

He told police he had been washed out to sea, but had managed to fight his way back to shore.

According to a police summary, Reedy had survived by living in a mangrove swamp tree and drinking his own sweat.

He told police that had he killed himself, his family would not have grieved for long. He said he did not care that people had been searching for him.

Sentencing, Judge David Harvey described Reedy's disappearance as an act of "considerable self-indulgence".

"You didn't think your passing would cause any concern. You were prepared to sit back and let it happen."

Though Reedy deserved credit for his guilty plea, it was necessary to punish his "considerable waste" of police time, Judge Harvey said.

Reedy's lawyer said his client would pay $1000 to the Fire Service, but Judge Harvey ordered him to pay $2000 to the Kaiaua service and $2000 to police.

The judge accepted a probation recommendation that Reedy be sentenced to community work.

He was also fined $200 and disqualified from driving for three months for careless use of a motor vehicle.