Senior Sergeant Clem Armstrong.
Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf

Two men are due in a Northland court on Tuesday after a school burglary police described as a “kick in the guts” for students.

The break-in, on 6 March, targeted the trades academy at Northland College in Kaikohe, where students learn the skills needed to forge careers in agriculture. Items taken included farm tools, tables, a fridge and a compressor, worth more than $5000.

Senior Sergeant Clem Armstrong said the burglary was a setback for the school and for students.

“It’s a kick in the guts for these kids because the items stolen were tools they use to gain their farming skill set,” he said.

CCTV footage from the school helped police identify one of the alleged offenders, Armstrong said.

He said a search at the 38-year-old’s home uncovered the stolen compressor and some of the stolen tools.

Armstrong said the 38-year-old named his alleged co-offender, aged 39, who was quickly located by the same officers and arrested for breach of bail. Police found the stolen fridge and tables at his home.

Armstrong said the recovered items were collected from the station by farming academy staff on 20 March.

“Unfortunately we didn’t recover every single item, but the school was rapt that A, their complaint was taken seriously, B, people were held to account, and C, some of those items were returned.”

Armstrong said the arrests would act as a deterrent to anyone else targeting the Kaikohe community.

The two men were charged with burglary and remanded in custody when they appeared in the Kaikohe District Court. They were due back before a judge on 31 March, when they were expected to apply for bail.

Armstrong put the arrests and recovery of some of the school’s property down to good teamwork.

During the second search, Armstrong said police found another man, aged 38, with pre-packaged bags of cannabis and scales. He was arrested and charged with possession of cannabis for supply.

Armstrong said he had himself attended Northland College as a boy and one of his brothers had gone through the school’s farm academy. His brother went on to manage a large farm in Rangitīkei, and now ran a “massive” ranch in Idaho in the US.

The college, on Mangakahia Road, has its own dairy farm, forestry block and a mānuka honey operation.

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