A repeat offender was caught stealing a box of beer from a Nelson supermarket just hours before appearing in court for sentencing, after telling others he planned to celebrate with "some cold ones".
According to a report by 1News, the 43-year-old man stole the beer from a Nelson supermarket on August 18. Police officers happened to be at the store for a crime prevention visit and spotted him as he left.
A brief foot pursuit followed before officers arrested the man in front of members of the public. The stolen beer was returned to the supermarket.
The man appeared in court later that day, where his comment about "grabbing some cold ones" reportedly did not impress the judge, as quoted by 1News.
He was sentenced to five and a half months in prison for burglary, shoplifting and breaching court release conditions. He also faced a further shoplifting charge relating to the stolen beer.
The incident comes as retail crime across the Nelson region has declined over the past year.
Police figures show retail crime has fallen by more than 30% in Nelson Central, 18% in Richmond and 17% in Motueka over the past 12 months.
Nelson Bays area commander Steve Collins attributed the decline to greater police visibility and a focus on investigating repeat offenders.
"Frontline and community policing having a regular presence on the street is making a big difference to retail crime numbers, and a focus on repeat offenders has paid dividends," he said, as quoted by 1News.
"This is an excellent example of how our presence can stop retail crime in its tracks. Our officers did a great job here, and I thank them for their commitment to keeping our communities safe and for their dedication to reducing retail crime," 1News has quoted.
A Woolworths spokesperson also thanked police for their response and said the company continues to work closely with officers.
"We actively work with police on incidents like this and we're so grateful for their support," the spokesperson said, 1News has quoted.
"Unfortunately, we continue to see violence, aggression and crime have a very real impact in our stores, on our team, security guards and customers, and their whānau," as quoted by 1News.