/ 10 December 2005

Man tries to rob bank by phone

A man who robbed a New Zealand bank was so disappointed with his haul he tried again — this time by phone, police said on Saturday.

”He’s rung [the bank] and said, ‘I’m the guy who robbed you the other day and I want the manager to put some money in a bag and go and stand in the street,”’ said Detective Sergeant Chris Winder, of the Auckland police.

”[He said,] ‘I’ll drive by slowly and take the bag from you and drive off.”’

A plainclothes police officer stood outside the bank in the northern city of Auckland on Friday carrying a bag, but the man did not appear. Instead, he called again.

”A phone call was made by the offender saying, ‘I’ve been watching and I don’t like what I see,”’ Winder said. ”He said, ‘Can you meet me down [the road] instead?”’

A plainclothes officer waited for the man at the second rendezvous, but he again failed to appear.

Police traced the calls and arrested a man on Saturday, charging him with aggravated robbery and demanding money with menaces. — Sapa-AP