Tourists caught and fined for shoplifting

A German couple who stole from stores across the country claim they just ran out of money.

Carina Anna Buskies, 26, and Julius Philipp Hasch, 25, stashed some fruit and a packet of dried fruit in a backpack at the New World supermarket in Kaiko¯ura on February 1.

Hasch put a box of teabags in his pocket and Buskies put more items into the backpack, a police summary said.

The couple paid for two other grocery items at the checkout, and left without paying for the items in the backpack, or those in Hasch’s pocket.

Two days later, the couple returned.

They slipped a jar of peanut butter, a packet of dried fruit and a bottle of beer into Buskies’ backpack.

Hasch put some ginger in his pocket and went through the checkout without paying, while Buskies went to the bathroom.

Buskies then left the store without paying for the items in her backpack.

But a staff member followed her and asked to check inside her bag.

They found the grocery items and called police.

Police linked the couple to three other shoplifting incidents in the North Island.

After arriving in New Zealand in October last year, and buying a car, they visited a Mitre 10 in Auckland.

They filled a trolley with several items from the plumbing aisle.

They put some of the plumbing parts in Buskies’ bag and went to the checkout, where they paid for the things in the trolley, but not the things in the bag.

Three days later the couple returned in their car and took more plumbing parts, slipping some into Buskies’ bag and putting others in the trolley.

Hasch put a paint test pot in his pocket.

They went through the checkout again without paying for the items in Buskies’ bag, or the test pot in Hasch’s pocket.

The couple stole $316 worth of items from Mitre 10 in total.

They drove to Ruatoria, in Gisborne, and visited a Four Square supermarket in November.

As they browsed the aisles, Buskies slipped several grocery items into her backpack.

They paid for two packets of biscuits, but left without paying for the items in the backpack, worth

$40.

Buskies and Hasch told police they took the items because they were running out of money, the summary said.

They both admitted three counts of shoplifting at the Blenheim District Court yesterday.

They were convicted and fined

$300 each, and ordered to pay

$396.11 in reparation.