Whakatāne: Woman allegedly steals camper with man and cat still inside

The night-time chase ended near Whakatāne and a woman was arrested. Photo / File

A Bay of Plenty resident had a rude wake-up when a woman allegedly stole his camper while he and his cat were still inside.

The incident began unfolding about 8.50pm on Wednesday, near Seaview Rd in Whakatāne, when a person allegedly unlawfully entered a camper that was parked by the Whakatāne Heads.

Acting Eastern Bay of Plenty area commander Inspector Phil Gillbanks said, much to the surprise of the alleged thief, they had passengers inside.

Gillbanks said the man told the uninvited guest to get out, but instead of listening, the person allegedly drove off in the camper, with both man and moggie still in the rear sleeper section.

The man called police immediately and units closed in as the camper headed east towards Ōhope.

Gillbanks said the police calltaker stayed on the line with the man, keeping him calm and using his information to update responding officers.

Gillbanks described it as a “dangerous situation”, and a considered plan was implemented.

“Our main concern was the welfare of the person in the back, and in cases like this, planning is everything. His wellbeing would have been front and centre of our officers’ minds as they looked at how to safely stop the vehicle.”

He said it was great teamwork between the man and the call taker, through to the dispatcher and the units on the ground.

Gillbanks said police monitored the vehicle from a distance before it came to a stop on Wainui Rd, believed to be due to a mechanical issue caused by the alleged nature of the driving. .

Gillbanks said the man was in the rear of the camper without a seatbelt, so the calltaker worked with him to find the most stable place to keep him safe.

“In this case, that meant he sat on the bed and held onto the sink. It’s not ideal, but it was the least worst choice available.”

The camper came to a stop just before the State Highway 2 roundabout, and the driver was taken into custody about 9.10pm. The man and his cat were unharmed during the incident, which lasted about 20 minutes.

A 28-year-old Whakatāne woman has been charged with failing to stop and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

She appeared in Whakatāne District Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody to reappear on June 10.

Gillbanks said if there was one piece of advice he would give people, it was to make sure your vehicle was fully secured, regardless of whether you were staying in it or not.

“But I want to acknowledge the man for keeping a cool head through all of this – waking up to find your camper moving would be unsettling to say the least.”

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.