[MSN] New Zealand. Thief has the touch of the Artful Dodger

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  Thief has the touch of the Artful Dodger

By ANDREW McALLEY <mailto:Andrew.McAlley at WaikatoTimes.co.nz> - Waikato 
Times | Friday, 4 May 2007

* A thief's eye for art proved his undoing after police searched a house 
and found a prized painting just metres from where it was stolen. *

The painting belonged to Te Awamutu woman Janine Evans, who had a total 
of six artworks taken when her house was burgled.

"They took a number of items from my John Mclean collection - one 
painting was worth over six grand, another I'd had for about 28 years," 
she said.

Household items like a television and furniture were also stolen, and Ms 
Evans never thought she would get anything back.

The house had been for sale on TradeMe, but Ms Evans is unsure whether 
that was where the burglars took their lead from.

Six weeks after the burglary, the police phoned Ms Evans to say they had 
searched a house four doors away, where the thieves had set up house 
with her belongings.

"The police took me back to the property. Straight away I recognised my 
TV he had set up in his bedroom and I saw some wood panels from my 
paintings," she said.

"One painting was found at the house and the others were recovered from 
the burglar's parents' home in Te Awamutu."

Normally burglary victims like to protect their anonymity but Ms Evans 
said she was so impressed by the way police handled her case she wanted 
to speak out.

"They've copped a fair bit of flak lately and I just wanted to say what 
a good job they did as far as I'm concerned.

"From Joe or Jane Bloggs' perspective the only time they have 
involvement with the police is when they are victims or from what they 
see in the media.

"And my experience has only been positive. I mean, I didn't even know 
police had a specialist burglary squad who treat cases like mine as a 
priority."

http://www.stuff.co.nz