'Cold ones for sentencing': Man stole beer on his way to court

A repeat offender who told others he wanted to celebrate his day in court by "grabbing some cold ones for sentencing" was caught stealing a box of beer just hours before he faced a judge in Nelson.

The 43-year-old man swiped the beers from a Nelson supermarket on August 18. As he left the store, he was seen by officers who happened to be there on a tasked crime prevention visit, and a short foot pursuit ended with his arrest in front of the public.

The beers went back to the store.

When he appeared in court later that day, his comment about "grabbing some cold ones" did not go down well with the judge.

He was jailed for five and a half months for burglary, shoplifting and breach of court release, with a further shoplifting charge over the beers.

Retail crime in the Nelson region has dropped over the past 12 months, down more than 30% in Nelson Central, 18% in Richmond and 17% in Motueka.

Nelson Bays area commander Steve Collins said he was pleased with the figures that he put down to improved officer visibility and prioritised investigations.

"Frontline and community policing having a regular presence on the street is making a big difference to retail crime numbers, and a focus on repeat offenders has paid dividends," he said.

"This is an excellent example of how our presence can stop retail crime in its tracks. Our officers did a great job here, and I thank them for their commitment to keeping our communities safe and for their dedication to reducing retail crime."

A Woolworths spokesperson said the company worked closely with police and thanked officers for their efforts.

"We actively work with police on incidents like this and we're so grateful for their support," the spokesperson said.

"Unfortunately, we continue to see violence, aggression and crime have a very real impact in our stores, on our team, security guards and customers, and their whānau."