The Nissan Navara RX 2018 ute was stolen in the early hours of Sunday morning near Memorial Park, Masterton. PHOTOS/SUPPLIED
ARTHUR HAWKES
[email protected]
Wairarapa-Bush utility back Tipene Haira did everything right the night his ute was stolen, a black Nissan Navara RX 2018, which was parked at Memorial Park, by the grandstands.
The vehicle was taken in the early hours of Sunday morning, after the rugby star had spent Saturday in Napier with the team, smashing Poverty Bay 46-26.
He got back to Masterton quite late and had a few celebratory jars at Jackson Street Bar after a long day of travelling and rugby.
“We got on the team bus at about 9am, grabbed all our gear, then went up to Napier,” Haira said.
“Then we got back about 10.30pm, got our bags, and put them in the back of the ute. I made sure I locked it.”
Like always, he made the responsible decision to leave his vehicle in town after drinking and was dropped home. A friend of Haira’s, who was also in Masterton, walked past the ute at about 2.30am when he was grabbing some of his own gear.
On Sunday morning at 9am, Haira’s brother went to pick up the ute for him and drive it back, but when he arrived, it was nowhere to be seen.
Realising it must have been stolen, Haira then reported the theft to the police.
He said this was not a nice thing to go through after being on such a high from Saturday’s win.
Haira wanted to highlight that the ute was black with black rims, had a chrome sports bar [metal frame coming from the cab], and a Martinborough sticker on the back window.
- Anyone with information on Haira’s stolen Nissan Navara ute is encouraged to call the police on 105, the non-emergency number.
