EMERGENCY SERVICES

items from the neighbour’s yard had been taken and used by the offenders in the attempted break and entry.

Rewa St, Tui St, Tainui St, Firth St and Elizabeth St suffered graffiti. Police believe this graffiti was connected to the burglary of the Waharoa cow shed as tail paint, which is used in farming, was recovered by police.

January 4

A 19- year- old female was subsequently located by police and arrested for wilful damage in relation to the graffiti. While she was being arrested she punched a policeman in the face in an effort to escape. Police chased her and arrested her again for assault on a policeman and escaping custody. Her 14- year- old brother and 41- year- old mother were also arrested for obstructing police and the mother was also charged for assault on a police member. A 16-year-old was also refereed to youth aid for assaulting police. Police believe the burglary and graffiti are connected.

January 5

Findlater St and Kestrel Cres addresses were burgled.

An alarm at a garden centre alerted the owner to four people on their property discussing going over the back fence into the neighbour’s property. He rang police and yelled at the offenders. They took off towards SH27 in a black four door vehicle which was about ten years old. The vehicle had been seen parked on Waharoa Rd East.

Police attended a collision on Mangawhero Rd where there were no injuries. Between January 5 and 7 the wheel barrow from Firth Primary School was taken.

January 6

Police attended a collision on Hopkins Rd and SH29. A car driving down SH29 tuned onto Hopkins Rd and collided head on with a vehicle travelling east. Two people in each vehicle received moderate injuries and were treated at Matamata Medical Centre. Both drivers were tourists. Police believe the German tourist who caused the accident had looked the wrong way when checking for traffic. They said they were horrified by what they had caused.

An 18-year-old was arrested for breaching bail conditions at an Elizabeth St address.

The Matamata Volunteer Fire Brigade attended a crash on the Kaimai Range where a van and truck had collided on SH29 near the summit. They had to cut the 19-year-old driver out of the van.