How low can you go?

The wounds are still very raw for the families of the men killed at Pike River. And likewise, those families whose livelihoods have been choked off by the closure of the mine will be finding it hard to adjust to an uncertain future. That's why our blood is boiling after reading this, from The Press:

The man who posed as a Piker River miner to allegedly steal cash, clothes and a car from a North Otago family has been found.

Constable Craig Bennett, of Kurow, said the man was picked up by police in Timaru this morning and was now being spoken to by officers.

Bennett said the man had previously posed as a Pike River miner.

Police located the man after a tip off from a member of the public after the story appeared in media this morning.

The man was hitchhiking from Dunedin on Christmas Eve when he was befriended by a family from Tokarahi, about 35 kilometres from Oamaru.

Bennett said the man claimed to be a Pike River miner who had recently separated from his wife. He said the man stayed with the family for two days before leaving at night with their car and more than $2000 in cash and cheques.

The man left a note saying he was doing a "small job", but had not returned.

The family had given "everything extra that they had", including hosting the man on Christmas Day. "They actually bought a Christmas present for him because they felt sorry for him spending Christmas alone, and lent him some money to try to help him get back on his feet," Bennett said.

He said the alleged theft had upset a "nice family".

This is a particularly nasty crime. The alleged offender has preyed on the generosity and good spirit of a family by spinning them a line designed to engender sympathy. We have no sympathy for him whatsoever, and hope that the Police and the Courts throw the book at him. The photograph above was released earlier by Police, and obviously contributed to the alleged offender's apprehension

There have been enough genuine victims of the Pike River explosion and its aftermath already. Anyone who tries to profit personally from the devastation there deserves nothing but contempt.