False name man locked up for crime committed by the person he pretended to be

Giving police a false name backfired on a man who found himself locked up for a crime committed by the person he was pretending to be.

The 23-year-old was pulled over by police on Friday at 12.36am in Northland, New Zealand, and gave police a fake name. He was arrested and locked up, because the person whose name he gave was wanted for breaching bail conditions.



Police said because people are not fingerprinted when they are found breaching bail conditions, they had no idea the man was not who he claimed to be. The man appeared in court under the false name.

However, Ngawha Prison officials recognised who he really was. He remains in custody and will appear in court on Tuesday, June 23, facing charges of driving while disqualified, giving false details and perverting the course of justice.