A warrant has been issued for Reuben Joseph Coles.
A warrant has been issued for Reuben Joseph Coles.
Police were last night still seeking a Hastings man who failed to turn up for a court case relating to a plague of thefts from homes in the Hastings suburb of Mahora at the end of last year.
Reuben Joseph Cole, 44, faces one charge of burglary and 12 ofreceiving stolen property relating to the thefts which ended when he was found with a stolen trailer later on the night of New Year's Day.
A search of a property where he was staying in Conway St, Mahora, then uncovered an array of property missing from addresses in the area, including lawnmowers and patio and garden items.
Cole failed to show in the Napier District Court on Thursday when lawyer Richard Stone expected him to accept a sentence indication given after a hearing in June and to plead guilty.
Promised Cole was on the way to court, Judge Geoff Rea issued a warrant for arrest but let it "lie in court" until yesterday afternoon in the hope Cole would still overcome such difficulties as finding a ride to court, but there was still no appearance when the deadline expired.
Cole was understood to have arrived at the Napier Courthouse later yesterday, after court had finished for the day, but police said last last night he had still not been found.
Cole also faces charges of possessing cannabis and utensils for the use of cannabis.
