'Grim eater' banned from taking food from funerals in New Zealand

A man dubbed the "grim eater" repeatedly gatecrashed Wellington funerals armed with empty Tupperware containers he filled with food and took home. The hungry fake mourner attended up to four funerals per week during March and April.

The man, thought to be aged in his forties, visited venues in the eastern suburbs of Wellington, including Miramar, Rongotai and Kilbirnie. Harbour City Funeral Home staff cottoned on to the biscuit burglar and circulated a photo of the man to its branches.



Staff approached the man and instructed him he could attend the funerals, but could not take food home with him. Funeral home director Danny Langstraat said the man stocked up at the wakes.

"Certainly he had a backpack with some tupperware containers so when people weren't looking, he was stocking up," he said. Langstraat said he believes the muffin mugger may have had mental health issues as he was not discreet about taking the food.