An Australian man dubbed the Easter Bunny by police has been sentenced after stealing 200,000 chocolate eggs.
Joby Pool, 32, stole nearly NZ$64,500 worth of Cadbury Creme Eggs in early February after breaking into an industrial unit. He had also stolen the tractor he used to take the chocolate treats.
Pool pleaded guilty to theft, criminal damage and driving without insurance and has been jailed for a year and a half. He will spend half the time in prison and the other half will see him on probation, with his previous six months in custody counting towards his sentence.
In an earlier court hearing, Pool’s then-solicitor John McMillian told the court that Pool stopped when he realised he was being followed.
“He realised that the game was up – he realised the police were behind him and pulled in when it was safe to do so.
“He wasn’t offering any resistance and then he was arrested.”
Cadbury, the brand behind the milk chocolate eggs, is owned by US food company Mondelez International. The eggs, which are filled with a makeshift yolk made of yellow and white fondant, are sold during the Easter period.
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