Teenagers stole, created motel mayhem, court told

A pair of Auckland teenagers allegedly spent more than a month travelling around the North Island stealing to live, ripping off motel owners and trashing their rooms.

Nicholas Joshua Meyer, 19, and his girlfriend Amber Katherine Collins, 17, appeared in the North Shore District Court yesterday.

Between them they face 18 charges for offences stretching from Whangarei to Upper Hutt including shoplifting, driving off from petrol stations and motels without paying, and trashing motel rooms.

Judge Margaret Lee remanded the pair on bail with 24-hour curfews to their parents' homes and said they were not to have any contact with each other.

"They've wandered around the island staying in hotels and not paying," she said.

The pair are alleged to have stolen televisions and microwaves from motels and drink, petrol, cigarettes and herbal party pills from dairies and service stations.

Police are expected to lay further charges over offences in New Plymouth, Rotorua and Auckland.

Their alleged six-week crime spree started on the North Shore, where both live, and and encompassed Whangarei and Upper Hutt.

They were caught by police on the Northern Motorway after a short chase near the Onewa Rd turnoff on Wednesday.

Prosecutor Michael Mann said the pair had stayed in motels around the North Island and left without paying, drove off from petrol stations and stole items from shops.

Among the motels they allegedly stayed in was Albany Oak Motel in Auckland, where the carpet, curtains, walls, table and linen were damaged. The owner found the room covered in red candle wax.