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A Greymouth beach played an important role in recapturing a prisoner on the run from police after his car became stuck in the gravel.
William Tawhai, 40, had walked away from his Work to Release programme in Christchurch on Thursday. A woman who was with him called
police on Friday night to say she was on a stoney West Coast beach but didn't know where, the Sunday Star-Times reported yesterday.
Detective Sergeant Andy Oliver of Greymouth said a member of the public saw the car on the beach on the outskirts of Greymouth and phoned police about 7 on Saturday morning, leading to Tawhai's arrest.