Interpol joins NZ cop hunt
A “GYPSY” whose family wreaked havoc on holiday in New Zealand fled the country on someone else’s passport.
James Nolan, 26, has a warrant out for his arrest and faces criminal charges for fraud, assault with a weapon and reckless driving.
He is linked to the family who were branded “trash” and “a***holes” by the mayor of Auckland Phil Goff. They were accused of trashing beaches, damaging an apartment, scamming restaurants and annoying locals.
A petition to remove them from the country had more than 2,500 signatures.
Nolan and two others were arrested on February 19 after allegations of a roofing scam. Kiwi resident Heidrun Leonard, 82, claimed some men offered to fix her roof for £4,800 but fled with the funds after she paid by cheque up front.
But after Nolan failed to show for a court hearing New Zealand customs confirmed he had left the country having “deliberately circumvented border controls by using a valid passport that was not his own”.
Nolan is believed to have used an eGate at Auckland airport to scan the fraudulent passport which flagged him as a potential risk.
A statement from Customs said: “The eGate identified further checks were needed on the passport.
“The image was automatically sent to a Customs officer, who incorrectly identified Nolan as the passport owner.”
New Zealand police are now working with Interpol.
Nolan had a warrant for his arrest over another incident when he failed to appear at the district court.
He is accused of driving his car at a young woman who filmed him and his family when they left piles of rubbish at a beach.