French hitch-hiker free to go after debts paid
A French tourist convicted of damaging a West Coast road sign and stealing a sleeping bag has walked free after overseas donors paid nearly $4000 in reparations.
Cedric Claude Rene RaultVerpre, 27, pleaded guilty to stealing a sleeping bag from an Auckland store when he appeared in the Christchurch District Court yesterday, having earlier admitted damaging a road sign out of frustration when he could not hitch a ride.
He was remanded on bail, having surrendered his passport, ahead of a hearing next month about the amount of damage he caused to the road sign. He disputed a figure of $3000 from Fulton Hogan, saying the sign was already damaged.
He returned to court late yesterday afternoon, however, agreeing to the damage bill. The court heard that reparations of $2987.51, along with $998.98 for the sleeping bag, had been paid by an ‘‘external person’’.
Duty lawyer Andrew McKenzie said people overseas had seen the media coverage of Rault-Verpre’s case and the considerable amount of humiliation he had suffered.
His debt paid, Rault-Verpre was discharged from court and his passport returned.
‘‘I can’t see the need for any further penalty,’’ Judge Brian Callaghan said.
Rault-Verpre, who has been working in New Zealand, pleaded guilty to the wilful damage charge in Greymouth on Tuesday, after he attacked a road sign in Punakaiki. Police alleged RaultVerpre pulled one sign out of the ground and threw it in the nearby Punakaiki River and hurled large rocks at another.
Witnesses told police he verbally abused tourists and locals after being unable to get a lift for four days.
After pleading guilty to that charge, Rault-Verpre suggested that New Zealand should change its name to ‘‘Nazi Zealand’’.
His latest court saga started yesterday morning, when he arrived for his scheduled appearance.
Soon after he was taken into the cells, and then on to the Christchurch Central Police Station to be questioned and charged with another offence.
He was back at court a few hours later facing a charge of stealing a $999 sleeping bag from Kathmandu in Newmarket, Auckland, on September 9.
At one stage during the hearing, Rault-Verpre snapped his fingers to get the attention of his duty lawyer.
Rault-Verpre is in New Zealand on a working visa.