New charges after ‘false’ grocery store robbery

A manager charged with faking an aggravated robbery at a Blenheim grocery store is also facing several new charges of theft.

Police were told the manager of Benge & Co Green Grocers, off Grove Rd in Blenheim, was opening the store when he was assaulted by at least two people, who made off with cash last month.

But police now say the incident was not an aggravated robbery as they were led to believe.

Blenheim man Thomas Damian Blake, 44, was arrested on Friday and charged with making a false statement to police, and theft of $8977.40 by a person in a special relationship.

He appeared at Blenheim District Court on Monday, facing six extra charges of theft by a person in a special relationship, of amounts between $137.30 and $666 between March and May.

Blake also faced a new charge of deliberately wasting police resources by telling a detective he feared for his safety.

He did not enter any pleas.

His lawyer Philip Watson asked for interim name suppression for his client, at least until the evidence had been disclosed by police.

Blake could be dismissed from his job during court proceedings and could struggle to find work if he was named, Watson said.

But Judge David Ruth said the public had a right to know about the charges. He agreed to let Watson make a formal application for name suppression and remanded the man on bail until yesterday, with interim name suppression until that date.

But Watson dropped the application for name suppression yesterday, and Blake was remanded on bail to July 9.