Peter Malcolm Black in court yesterday. Photo / Richard Robinson
The man accused of conning his way into a family's hotel room and helping himself to thousands of dollars worth of belongings has been remanded in custody.
Peter Malcolm Black, an unemployed 42 year-old, appeared in Auckland District Court today dressed in a green t-shirt with his arm
in a sling.
Mr Black was admitted to Middlemore Hospital on Saturday night with hand injuries and arrested over the hotel burglary after being discharged yesterday.
His lawyer Tony Bouchier told the court Mr Black had no memory of the incident at the hotel or how he received his injuries.
Mr Black is accused of convincing a hotel receptionist at Auckland's Quay West hotel to let him into the room of the Black family, who were on holiday from Canada. He is not related to the family.
He allegedly took about $15,000 worth of property before ordering a meal on the Blacks' room service account.
Mr Bouchier told the court police investigating the case had told him that someone at the City Mission - where Mr Black is staying - could have injured him while trying to take the money he allegedly stole.
Mr Bouchier said Mr Black had "burnt his bridges" at a hostel and the Salvation Army and no one in his family was prepared to take him in.
He asked that his client be bailed to a night shelter in Hamilton because Mr Black was from the Waikato and was known there.
But the judge turned the request down and said there was a risk of Mr Black not turning up to his next court appearance due to a history of drug and alcohol dependence and mental health problems.
Mr Black entered a not guilty plea and will reappear on January 18.
