Key Points:

A helicopter pilot jailed for stealing 20 tonnes of greenstone from the South Island high country has lost an appeal against his conviction.

Harvey Andrew Hutton, of Makarora near Wanaka, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment in May 2006 for the theft of Ngai Tahu greenstone. He was given leave to apply for home detention and ordered to pay $300,000 reparation.

Hutton sought to introduce new evidence but this was also dismissed by the Court of Appeal.