Discarded butt stubs out man’s offending
He did a burglary, had a smoke at the scene, then left his cigarette butt on the ground.
It was the start of a crime spree that saw Te Urewera Lionel Epiha go on to break into the Life Education mobile classroom bus and steal more than $9000 worth of equipment, including computers.
But it was that cigarette butt that helped police nail him for his crime by tracing his DNA.
Epiha, 30, appeared in Rotorua District Court and plead guilty to eight charges, including burglary, theft from a car, two counts of driving without a licence, receiving stolen property valued at more than $1000, unlawfully possessing ammunition, giving false details to police and theft.
Court details outline his offending.
Epiha, from Murupara, went to a business property on Kahikatea St in the town sometime between March 25 and May 3 last year. The property was vacant due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
He forced open a rear window and stole two flatscreen televisions, a Ryobi drop saw, a Ryobi planer, a Ryobi vacuum and a 10-litre pale of paint.
According to the police summary, officers found the discarded cigarette butt during a search of the building. DNA on it was linked back to Epiha.
But before police arrested him, Epiha broke into the Life Education bus sometime between 10pm on September 16 and 9am on September 17.
He stole 14 laptops valued at $460 each, a data projector valued at $1682, a JBL Party Box speaker valued at $500, a reversing camera display valued at $339 and a $49 TV remote control.
Reparation of $9010 is being sought for that offending.
Between September 7 and 8 a Ford Courier Motor vehicle was stolen in Taupo¯ .
The vehicle was valued at $1000 and at the time it had $1800 worth of electronic tools in the rear.
On September 30, Epiha was found to be the driver of a ute on State Highway 2 at
Pa¯ pa¯ moa.
He later gave police the name of Meihana Epiha.
he admitted giving his brother’s name and didn’t have a driver’s licence.
Inside the vehicle, there were 20 shotgun cartridges. Epiha has been forbidden from driving since October 2017.
He told police he bought the vehicle off an unknown man on Facebook, paying $800.
Police again stopped Epiha on October 13, driving without a licence.
He also admitted a charge of theft after he failed to pay for $40 worth of petrol from the Gull service station at Waiotapu on September 1.
After putting $40 worth of petrol in his vehicle, he went back to the driver’s side, leaned into the vehicle to look for something but then got in his vehicle and drove off.
Epiha will be sentenced on May 25 at 10am.