The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

NZ cops claim 'first Facebook arrest' of bungling safe-cracker

Charles Manning

Face blur, bah! 

Why blur the face when it was published on Facebook, as well as various media outlets. eg: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4816461a11.html

Russell Howe

Those fateful words... 

Stop

Queenstown Police has tagged you in a photo...

Peter Moodie

to Charles Manning 

Coat

This is how the NZ Police image now appears in Facebook. It was un-blurred when they were looking to identify him, now that they have, he's an 'alleged' burgler and so they have to protect his identity.

Horridbloke

Can I be the first to say... 

Flame

... ha ha, what a tard.

John Bayly

Makes us feel better about the UK (or possibly less worse) 

Boffin

It's nice to know that it's not only our yoofs that are thick as shit.

On a complete tangent, shouldn't the Title inputbox be allowed to fill it's container, and not be constrained to 258px?

Muscleguy

Wot? no #8 wire? 

Happy

Good to see good old Kiwi have a go is alive and well. Got a safe to crack and only an angle grinder and a crowbar? No worries, you'll find a way. Now if only he had thought to bring along the #8 wire . . .

Paul

With a face... 

Coat

that blocky, no wonder someone recognised him.

Ben

Spotters Badge 

Coat

I can't believe that NZ's finest needed Facebook for this. How hard can it be to find the only bloke in town with a face like an overcompressed JPEG?

Seán

Facebook brutality 

If facebook is the polis now then it had better start applying for overtime straight away.

Andy Barber

@ Charles Manning 

Stop

... & El Reg has to keep it's legal integrity because until the trial, he is still only 'accused.'

Nordrick Framelhammer

The funny thing was... 

Happy

He was doing this in a small room which is described as "rather warm at the best of times" and he took his balaclava off because he was sweating.

They showed the footage of him on the TV news when he spotted the camera in the roof. It was priceless watching his face falling faster than Paris Hilton's knickers at the first sign of a video camera.

And they identified him in one day.

Jon Minhinnick

What's more 

Thumb Up

The alleged perp didn't see several hundred $$ in coins on the shelf behind him.

FAIL.

Cheese

TV News 

Paris Hilton

I'm sure that the TV news services showing the CCTV footage (not just a still) and taking the piss out of the guy probably had something to do with it; he had the balaclava down at first, but pulled it up when he, supposedly, started getting a bit toasty.

Paris, because she also likes peeling off in front of a camera.

wayne tavitt

hear hear 

"On a complete tangent, shouldn't the Title inputbox be allowed to fill it's container, and not be constrained to 258px?"

Harry

"he is still only 'accused.'" 

Alert

Fair enough. What irritates me is news reports that say that somebody is "alleged" to have done something, even *after* that person has been found guilty and sentenced for the crime.

But then again, why don't we go the whole hog and insist that because accused people (generally, not specific to this case) are *supposedly* innocent until proved guilty, they shouldn't have their NAMES disclosed publicly unless and until they are found guilty.

Anonymous Coward

New Poke options? 

So do I expect to find 'Arrest' next to 'Throw a chicken at' then?

Moss Icely Spaceport

I was only robbin' the register! 

Joke

What a complete tool.

Anonymous Coward

NZ has previous form on this type of name-and-shame 

Go

They saw someone stealing transformers from a billboard so took a photo and published it on their own billboard. Classic, great use of the old K.I.*

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4771229a11.html

*(Kiwi Ingenuity)

Eddie Edwards

@ John - I guess it's to avoid people writing their entire post in the title 

Joke

See title.

Winkypop

Munted 

Thumb Up

LOL