20 Feb 2013

Trio convicted on most charges in crime spree trial

8:49 pm on 20 February 2013

Three men accused of going on a crime spree in Wellington in 2011 have been found guilty on all but three of the charges they faced.

Stephen O'Neill, Lance O'Neill and Edwin Holthim have been on trial in the Wellington District Court on a number of charges including arson and burglary.

After deliberating for eight hours, the jury on Wednesday returned guilty verdicts for all three men on 11 of 14 counts they were jointly charged, with which mainly related to crimes committed on 24 and 25 May in 2011.

That included an attempt to burn down the Karori police station and the ram-raid of a liquor store in the suburb of Brooklyn.

Stephen O'Neill was also found guilty of the theft of a car and the burglary of a shop in 2008.

The men were acquitted of the theft of items from a car, and the burglary and attempted burglary of two business premises.

Judge Mike Behrens remanded the men in custody until sentencing on 12 April.