How a Wi-Fi Outage Led a Napier Man to Catch a Burglar in His Garden

A Napier householder discovered a burglary in progress after his Wi-Fi was disconnected. Burglar Rangi Ferrall's appeal against a three-year sentence has been dismissed.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 8, 2026, 6:35 AM EDT

Source: RNZ Pacific

The Incident

In September 2025, the victim was surfing the internet when his connection abruptly failed. Upon entering his lounge to investigate, he discovered his television was missing. Stepping outside, he found Ferrall standing in the garden, holding a basket that contained the household's Wi-Fi modem and various other stolen possessions.

The confrontation escalated when the victim followed Ferrall down the driveway. Ferrall responded by kicking the man in the stomach and punching him in the face, causing facial lacerations and swelling, before fleeing with a portion of the stolen items.

Legal Proceedings and Appeal

Ferrall was convicted on multiple counts, including:

Two charges of burglary (including an earlier unsuccessful attempt the same night).