Woman, 93, tops list of NZ's oldest offenders

Shoplifting of mainly basic food items is the main crime committed by pensioners. Photo / Greg Bowker

A 93-year-old woman who police apprehended for disorderly behaviour was New Zealand's oldest offender last year.

But shoplifting grannies were the main culprits on a list of the oldest people apprehended by police for the 2008-09 fiscal year, obtained by the Herald under the Official Information Act.

Police did not name the offenders - aged 85 to 93 - or say where the crimes took place for privacy reasons.

The oldest was a woman who used offensive behaviour or language on a private property in March. She received a written warning.

The offence, which states a person must be in a public place or be able to be seen or heard from a public place, carries a fine of up to $1000.

Women were 12 of the 17 criminals aged 85 and older.

Some charges were more serious, such as a 92-year-old man who assaulted a woman, an 88-year-old man who committed domestic assault and an 85-year-old woman who assaulted a person with a blunt instrument.

Other people in the list included an 87-year-old woman for the offensive or disturbing use of a telephone at a home in September 2008. She was cautioned by police. The woman either used or allowed her telephone to be used to threaten or disturb someone.

And an 85-year-old woman allegedly breached the Electoral Act in November 2008, which resulted in a written warning. Police records didn't show how she breached the law.

Most of the pensioners were on the list for shoplifting or theft of goods valued under $500.

The oldest shoplifter last year was a 92-year-old man. Seven others who shoplifted or stole were women.

Dave Norton, loss prevention manager for Foodstuffs South Island, said elderly people who stole from the chain's supermarkets generally took "basic, everyday food items".

In one case last year at a South Island supermarket, an 81-year-old woman, who was a regular shopper and would normally spend between $15 and $20, was found with items valued at $40.

She had concealed them on her person, in her handbag and under her clothing. Over an eight-week period she had been stealing goods between $40 and $100 each time.

What she was taking was butter, cheese, health and beauty, frozen food and everyday grocery items as opposed to targeting high-priced products.

Other cases included an 87-year-old man who stole $11.50 worth of items, an 83-year-old man who stole $20 worth of dairy products and an 81-year-old woman who stole shampoo, toothpaste and soap.

"Some care is needed when dealing with elderly persons who have not paid for products as it may not always be intentional," Mr Norton said.

"We have had incidents where genuine error has looked like theft and also incidents where the elderly person has had a medical condition that has resulted in them being incapable of forming an intention to steal."