Creedence Haden Brell, 41, pictured in New World Te Rapa, was today sentenced to home detention on multiple shoplifting charges. Photo / Police
Creedence Haden Brell, 41, pictured in New World Te Rapa, was today sentenced to home detention on multiple shoplifting charges. Photo / Police
A man helped steal about $5000 worth of products, including an inflatable spa, meat and a sex toy, during a theft spree where he simply walked out of the stores without paying anything.
Creedence Haden Brell worked mostly in tandem with his partner, but they weren’t always successful, with securityat some stores managing to nab the products back.
Brell’s thefts weren’t overly sophisticated but were premeditated; he would put a cooler bag in a trolley, fill it with items, then walk out without paying, or just pay for a drink.
On several occasions, security was watching, while one time, at a Bunnings store, a speed bump foiled them as their trolley, laden with $1667.08 of goods including the spa, was unable to move over it.
Brell’s partner has already been sentenced to home detention, but in the Hamilton District Court today, the 41-year-old was hoping for a lesser sentence as he’d secured a job in Rotorua.
‘Supermarkets, trade store, chemist’
It all began just after 9pm on June 5, last year, when the couple went into Woolworths Te Rapa.
They walked around putting groceries inside their reusable chiller bags.
As they went to the checkout, they each grabbed a drink, paid for only that, then left.
In November, Brell went into New World Te Rapa and filled a bag with groceries. He picked out a bottle of water, paid for that and went to leave.
However, staff were alerted to what he was up to, stopped him and got all the groceries back.
Creedence Brell pictured in a Bunnings store. Photo / Police
On November 28, the couple walked into Chemist Warehouse Bethlehem and put $674.95 worth of goods into a bag that Brell’s partner was carrying and left.
The next day, they hit the Bunnings store and loaded a trolley with multiple items, including the spa, and as they went to leave, the trolley got stuck on a speed bump.
Creedence Haden Brell, 41, was today sentenced to home detention on multiple shoplifting charges after thefts and attempted thefts from Woolworths, Pak'nSave, New World, Bunnings and Chemist Warehouse stores.
Staff asked for their receipt. In reply, Brell asked for a quote and the pair then left.
In December, they tried stealing $470.59 worth of groceries from Fresh Choice Leamington but were stopped.
Creedence Brell pictured walking into Woolworths Te Rapa on the night of June 5, 2025. Image / Police
Brell then went to Chemist Warehouse in Hamilton and put a “Moments vibin pleasure toy”, worth $79.99, in his pocket and walked out.
On January 26, the couple was in Woolworths Chartwell with their reusable shopping bags.
They grabbed multiple packets of meat before walking around pretending to shop, and then regrouped at the checkout and spoke briefly.
Brell walked off and put his bag of meat at the back of a shelf, while his partner noticed staff staring at her, so she dropped her bag and left, yelling abuse on the way.
In total, the pair tried to steal $405 worth of goods from the supermarket.
‘Already serving a sentence and on bail’
Judge Tony Couch said two factors made Brell’s offending more serious: he was already serving a sentence during some of the offending and on bail for others.
In total, the judge said the couple stole more than $5000 worth of products.
Brell also had previous convictions from last year for theft and burglary in 2022.
After applying discounts, the judge got to 13 months’ jail but agreed to convert that to six months and 14 days of home detention to be served at a Rotorua property.
He also ordered Brell to pay reparation to Woolworths, Pak’nSave and Chemist Warehouse, totalling $441.08.
Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 11 years and has been a journalist for 22.
