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Offender Database Leslie Polwart

Leslie James Polwart

Alias

.

Offences

Armed Robbery of a security van in Paraparaumu in May 1999

Victims

.

Offender Affiliations

Kevin Polwart

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1963

Current Location

unknown

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to eight years for armed robbery in October 2000
Since paroled by final release date

Background
NZ Herald story here
From a Waikato Times story 21/10/2000
A $600,000 security van robbery, the biggest in New Zealand , has earned Kevin Joseph Polwart a 10-year jail sentence. Sentencing Polwart in the High Court at Wellington yesterday, Justice Neazor said he accepted the shotguns Kevin Polwart and his brother Leslie used to intimidate the Armourguard van guards were not loaded and the pair had not used violence. But the judge said $238,000 of the stolen money had still not been recovered.

A jury on September 12 found Kevin Polwart, 39, guilty of armed robbery at Coastlands Mall, Paraparaumu, on May 24 last year. Polwart's brother got eight years' jail because he pleaded guilty and handed back his share of the money. Justice Neazor said armed robbery was a social threat because security guards did not carry guns and robberies threatened the principle that they should remain unarmed. In a probation report Polwart claimed he had an alibi. But there had been no mention of an alibi during his trial and it was inconsistent with his "I am as guilty as sin" comment to police, the judge said.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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