On June 21, police were trying to figure out why a chicken head was mysteriously left in an East Maitland letterbox.

A Porter Avenue resident contacted police after they discovered the severed animal head about 11.30am Tuesday, June 20.

Police sought information from neighbours but could not solve the case.

Stapler used to scare off robber

On September 1, Telarah Newsagency owner Bruce Toghill scared off an armed offender with a stapler in a failed robbery attempt.

Mr Toghill was working at the store about 5.30am Friday when a masked man entered with a knife and demanded cash.

“He was yelling out like a two-bob watch,” Mr Toghill said.

Rather than handing the money over, Mr Toghill picked up a stapler and chased the bandit out of the shop.

Cigarette machine stolen from Shenanigan's at the Imperial Maitland

On November 14, in a brazen daylight incident, a cigarette machine was allegedly wheeled straight out of a popular Maitland pub.

Police claimed that two men dressed in hi-vis clothing wheeled a trolley into Shenanigans at the Imperial about 4.30pm.

The cigarette machine was then allegedly unplugged, lifted onto the trolley and wheeled out of the pub.

Police said the machine was then loaded onto the back of a ute that was parked in a nearby alleyway and driven away.

Man allegedly ties bed sheets, clothes and curtains to escape from police

Police found a makeshift escape rope hanging from a first-floor window of Hunter motel about 8am on Monday, July 24, while investigating a string of thefts.

But, instead of hair like in the fairytale, the rope was fashioned from curtains, clothing and bed sheets. 

Officers were searching for a 32-year-old man who was wanted in relation to several break and enter offences at vineyard businesses around Pokolbin.

By the time police accessed the motel room, the man was not there.

After that near miss, police caught up with the 32-year-old at premises in Buckland Avenue, Cessnock.

Man charged for allegedly trying to steal meat from Rutherford supermarket

A man was charged after he allegedly tried to smuggle meat out of a Rutherford supermarket in his pants.

Staff reported to police that they witnessed the man put two meat items down his pants on Thursday, June 1.

They approached him when he went to pay for a box of tissues at a checkout.

Staff took the man to an office, but he allegedly fled the room and ran up a flight of stairs.

Thirsty thief declined Gatorade

A 19-year-old admitted to using a stolen credit card to try and buy Gatorade from a Beresfield business.

The credit card came from a handbag that he had stolen from a vehicle at Beresfield on March 7.

The man was caught on CCTV footage trying to buy the Gatorade. The transaction was unsuccessful.