Crim's guilt kicks in

A yoga teacher who stole $182,000 using the stolen identities of dead infants before going on the run for 16 years returned to New Zealand after a "gradual awakening" of his conscience.

David John Rogers, 53, forged identities of six infants who died in Te Kuiti in the 1960s and collected unemployment benefits from them for four years.

Rogers also claimed benefits of friends who had gone overseas, with the total amount stolen reaching a total of $270,000 if adjusted to today's prices.

The benefit fraud came to light when Rogers was arrested for unrelated offending involving using ATM machines to withdraw money from the bank accounts of two other deceased people.

On bail, Rogers fled the country and worked as a social worker, also teaching yoga and meditation.

He spent nine years in Brazil, three in Colombia, and three in Argentina before he contacted the embassy in Buenos Aires.

He said: "I have been considering coming back to New Zealand for some years. I was determined to rectify my legal situation. also I was concerned to set things right with my mother and sister."

Rogers was arrested at Auckland Airport in March of 2009 and was jailed for three years after admitting 51 charges.

Court documents last week revealed the suffering caused to the families of the deceased babies.

The sister of one of the newborn babies whose identity was stolen said her brother's memory has been "desecrated".

Rogers' appeal last month against the length of his sentence was thrown out.