Rodeo sign stolen
On Christmas Eve, thieves made off with a trailer displaying a sign advertising the Mid Northern Rodeo's annual event. The trailer was parked on the side of the road at Maungatapere and was securely padlocked. The sign was found west of Tangiteroria and an attempt had been made to set it on fire. Mid Northern Rodeo secretary Dianna Bradshaw said like most sporting clubs it was struggling to make ends meet and the loss of the sign would have a significant impact. There was insufficient funding to replace the sign and the club's committee hoped this would not affect crowd numbers for the annual event starting January 6. The trailer belonged to club patron Murray Darroch. Any members of the public with any information about the theft and the arson attempt should contact the Whangarei Police.
Driver arrested
A 27-year-old Kaitaia man did not take kindly to the news that he would be spending the festive season in custody, according to one of the officers who arrested him on Christmas Eve. He was charged with possession of methamphetamine for supply, possession of utensils and driving while forbidden following a search of his car after a brief pursuit around Kaitaia, by officers who recognised him as a forbidden driver. Three grams of methamphetamine, a pipe, knife and $780 cash were seized from the vehicle.
Argument turns violent
Two men have been charged with assault after a disagreement turned nasty in Tikipunga on Wednesday night. Whangarei Police Sergeant Neil Pennington said a verbal altercation between a man and a woman, both living at Tapper Cr, escalated into a physical fight. A 39-year-old man grabbed a golf club and allegedly struck a woman in the head, Mr Pennington said. This angered a 27-year-old man who chased the older man down the road, knocked him to the ground and allegedly punched him continuously in the head until members of the public intervened. Police were called to the scene and arrested both men. The 39-year-old man was charged with assault with a weapon, and the 27-year-old man was charged with assault with intent to injure. The woman was taken by St John ambulance to Whangarei Hospital to be treated for cuts to the face.
Shoplifter drinks on job
Police were called to The Mill liquor store in Whangarei on Wednesday night to arrest an alleged drunk shoplifter who was opening cans of bourbon in the store and drinking the contents. Police say the woman, an 18-year-old from Kaikohe, had gone into the store three times during the day, stealing goods on each occasion. It's alleged she initially stole a 12-pack of bourbon and cola, and returned later to steal a bottle of Jim Beam. By 6.30pm, she was back for more bourbon and cola - although she couldn't wait to start drinking them and started opening the cans in the store. The woman was arrested by police and charged with three counts of theft.