ANGRY at the victim, Maynard Tata Melbourne turned up to her work to give her the money she had asked for and threw it at her. In the Whakatane District Court last week, Melbourne pleaded guilty to contravening a protection order, unlawfully being in a building and breaching community work. His lawyer, Craig Horsley, said […]

WHILE a family mourns the loss of their mother, police appeal for more information surrounding her fatal shooting. Leigh Kauhoe Wallace, a 50-year-old mother and grandmother from Whakatane, was shot and killed at a rural property on Otewa Road, near Otorohanga. Police are now appealing for sightings of a distinctive black and white ute. The […]

A HIGH-RANKING Mongrel Mob member is accused of destroying the car that was used in the manslaughter of Don Henry Turei Jnr at Raukokore last year. Henare Raukokore Swinton, who is the captain of the Aotearoa Mongrel Mob chapter in Rotorua, previously pleaded not guilty to being an accessory to the manslaughter after the fact […]

A WHAKATANE man has been sentenced to 36 months in prison after swindling over $400,000 from naïve investors. Tyler Rawiri Tetera appeared in the Whakatane District Court on Wednesday charged with seven counts of obtaining by deception, impersonating police and theft of a car. Through his then legitimate car buying and selling business, Tetera came […]

AN Edgecumbe man convicted of sexual offending against a girl aged under 12 will have his name suppression continued for at least another five days. A hearing following an application for permanent name suppression was heard in the Whakatane District Court yesterday. Judge Louis Bidois ruled against permanent suppression but allowed the interim suppression to […]

PRISONERS were evacuated after a mattress was set a ‘light in the Whakatane Police Station cells early yesterday evening.

Police were alerted to the blaze at approximately 6.15pm and it has been alleged that one of the prisoners set a ‘light their cell mattress

Fire and emergency attended the scene and four prisoners were evacuated and transported to Rotorua for their welfare following the incident.

Senior sergeant Al Fenwick said police investigations into the criminal liability of the incident were on-going but that the prisoner responsible would most likely face charges.

“What occurred was quite serious and it was an idiotic thing to do, putting himself and his cellmates in harm’s way,” Mr Fenwick said.

“He could have killed himself or anybody else in the cells and we have a complete duty of care to each individual in our custody. It was just lucky that nobody got hurt.”

Police believe that the prisoner may have concealed a lighter or matches. He said that if the offender was concealing something internally that there was no just cause for a cavity search prior to the incident.

Investigations are on-going with the criminal investigation branch.

AN officer was assaulted, and another pepper sprayed as police were set on by a drunken mob while trying to address neighbours’ complaints following the funeral of a baby who had died at a Peace Street address.

The Housing New Zealand-tenanted address has been the subject of numerous complaints by neighbours over the years. Whakatane District Council has received 21 noise complaints since April regarding the house.

Last Wednesday, a post-funeral get-together at the house turned ugly and neighbours had to call noise control and the police.

Police said the two-month-old baby girl had died overnight on Saturday, December 7, and the death was being treated as a “sudden infant death syndrome”, or cot death, and had been referred to the coroner.

Neighbours said after the funeral was held on Wednesday a crowd gathered at the house.

The neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said after the funeral the party got harder and more and more people began arriving. Expecting a fight, the neighbour asked police to patrol past the house.

“About 9pm the police were here and … then the fight started, and they asked the guys to stop.”

The neighbour said the police were able to calm the situation, however, at about 11.30pm another fight started.

“The police came, with about maybe 10 police and the fight was starting.”

The neighbour said the people at the house were verbally abusing the police and he believed a council employee was also present.

“And then they started fighting the police and there were so many drunken people and one was quite nasty, so the police caught him and put him on the road and took him to the police van.”

Senior Sergeant Al Fenwick said police were called to assist noise control remove a stereo as the home occupants hadn’t followed an abatement notice.

“We had to go with a noise control officer to seize the stereo and that turned ugly and a number of people got pepper sprayed, including one of our own officers, and one of our officers was assaulted,” he said.

“A large group had been drinking at the address … The guy who assaulted the policeman has been arrested and will appear in front of the court.”

The neighbour said he saw the mob turn on the police, who manged to calm them down by about midnight.

“The police left, but they kept on
going with the party, up to the morning, about 3.30am or 4am.”

The neighbour said the stereo might have been seized but they just brought in another one.

Mr Fenwick said the baby girl who died was just over two months old.

“A mother was sleeping with her baby on the couch and the baby may have been inadvertently smothered by the mother overnight. The investigation is treated as a sudden infant death and the file will go to the coroner,” he said.

“There is nothing suspicious … there is no criminal liability.”

Mr Fenwick said the baby was found deceased in the morning.

He said the coroner would hold a coronial hearing and call witnesses and make recommendations. In previous cases the coroner has recommended that the baby shouldn’t be sleeping with parents, “especially if you are intoxicated or otherwise affected” and should have baby sleeping in a cot or crib.

Mr Fenwick said he could not comment on whether the 18-year-old mother was intoxicated or not and police did not have the power to drug or alcohol test as they would have needed a warrant to do so.

“The family have just lost a two-month-old baby, whatever the circumstances it is not easy for anyone to have to go through.”

A neighbour said there was a party going on at the house on the night the baby died.

“There was a big party that day, also that night … a heavy party was going on.

“They never stop, the only days they stopped was when the child’s body was [lying in state at the house]. It was quiet.

“Otherwise they never stop the parties, almost every night, we have been calling the council and Housing NZ, but nothing happens.”

The neighbour said the noise from the house had been ongoing for years and attempts to get Housing NZ and the council to address the issue had failed.

“Police came twice on Wednesday and the council came, but they carried on the party afterwards, they don’t care about council, police or anybody.

“They say they cannot remove them from that house. They have been in that house seven-and-a-half years and they make our lives a nightmare.”

The neighbour said the noise stopped for about two months after the Beacon reported on the house in April this year, but then it started up again.

“They say they own the house; they are Maori and own this country so can do anything they want. We can’t argue with that.”

The neighbour said another neighbour who had confronted the tenants had almost been beaten up three times in the past few months.

“I also had a meeting with the council before the baby died and all they say is ‘keep on ringing’, that is all they say, but nothing happens.”

Housing NZ had not responded to requests for comment at the time of going to press.

STAFF and students at Whakatane’s Toi Ohomai campus are “completely heartbroken” following a spate of senseless wilful damage.

Whakatane campus manager Greg Brimmer said pictures couldn’t do justice to the amount of damage the campus had suffered, with approximately 41 windows broken in 19 of the 24 rooms at the Cutler Crescent premises.

“Pictures don’t do justice of the heartbreak I’ve gone through today,” he said.

“If somebody can come and do this deliberate damage, including the wharenui too, obviously these people don’t have any cultural beliefs or understand how disrespectful that is.”

Rocks, bricks and “whatever was handy at the time” had sprayed glass and debris through the campus.

Mr Brimmer said whoever caused the damage between December 26 and January 3 had no regard for the impact their actions might have.

Including the damage to the wharenui and main buildings, the offenders tore through the wrapping of the greenhouse used for various horticultural courses on site.

Mr Brimmer said the mess was absolutely devastating and with the cost of repairs estimated at $15,000, it would most likely impact on the campus’ approximately 500 students.

“The money has to come from somewhere and it usually comes out of the operations funds, so that’s less for the students,” he said.

He considers the draining of resources from an institution such as Toi Ohomai an absolute travesty.

“There was absolutely no thought given for our staff and students.

“Toi Ohomai is for people in our community to gain skills to become employable so they can be confident in themselves.

“Everybody is whanau here on campus.”

Mr Brimmer is eager to catch those responsible and show them the real implications of their “smashing good time”.

“We have CCTV footage so the police should have footage by now of anybody who was around at the time of the offending.

“My opinion is that it’s got to be kids or young teens who don’t know what we do here and wanted to come here and trash the place.

“These people need to come down and see the impact their actions will have on the community as a whole,” Mr Brimmer said.

Anyone with information on the vandalism can contact the Whakatane police station at 07 308 5255 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

hazel.osborne@thebeacon.co.nz

• Children aged 3 to 8 vandalise campus

SEVERAL children, aged between three and eight, have been identified as the offenders responsible for extensive damage caused at Whakatane’s Toi Ohomai campus and netball courts over the holiday period.

Police youth services officer, Sergeant Helen Hay, said the investigation followed a spate of senseless vandalism incidents caused by the group.

“These children appear to have been left to their own devices to go around these premises breaking windows with rocks, paving stones and sticks,” Ms Hay said.

Forty-six windows were broken at the Cutler Crescent polytech, which will cause a significant financial strain for the institute.

Whakatane campus manager Greg Brimmer said he was extremely disappointed to hear of the age group of the offenders and questioned how young children were able to inflict such damage in the first place.

“It’s very disappointing, especially with what we put into the community, allowing them to use the campus outside of teaching hours.

“Who set the example for them doing that, that’s the thing?” Mr Brimmer said.

He said the support of the community following the vandalism had been heart-warming.

Police youth aid services are speaking to the families involved, and Ms Hay would like to remind parents and caregivers that children under the age of 14 should be supervised.

“They should know where their children are and what they are up to at all times,” she said.

“We encourage parents to get out with their children and take advantage of what Whakatane has to offer.”

Senior Sergeant Mark van der Kley said the age range of the group was deeply worrying, and it was disappointing that local children from the area would cause such significant damage to community facilities.

“Toi Ohomai is a community hub, there for people to get an education, it’s just absolutely appalling.

“Parents should probably be a bit more aware of what their kids are doing when they aren’t around,” Mr van der Kley said.

Police encourage the community to report any suspicious activity that they may hear or see to the police immediately.

hazel.osborne@thebeacon.co.nz

A popular Kawerau campground has been closed after campers were intimidated and threatened by Mob members on dirt bikes, allegedly led by the camp manager himself.

The Department of Conservation managed Lake Tarawera Outlet campsite has been closed until further notice following claims it had been taken over, and campers forced out, by Mongrel Mob members.

Department of Conservation operations director Central North Island Damian Coutts said DoC has been made aware of the allegations and are supporting police in their enquiries and are also doing their own investigations given the seriousness of the incidents described.

“Because of the nature of the allegations, the campground has been closed,” said Mr Coutts.

“It is inappropriate for us to comment further while enquiries continue.”

A Kawerau man, who wanted to stay anonymous due to fears for his family’s safety, said his teenage son stayed at the campground over New Year’s and was terrified after a “riot” broke out.

The man said during the riot the campground manager presented a knife at the rioters and police attended the scene however nobody was charged in relation to the incident.

“My son said the campground manager was wearing a Mongrel Mob patch underneath his DoC vest,” said the man.

“Red shirt wearing people were driving around in DoC vehicles on site, and I’ve been told by other people camping there that they have also been harassed and intimidated by Mongrel Mob there. The Mob is basically running the place and apparently there is more methamphetamine up there than anything else.

“It’s a bloody shambles for a DoC campground.”

The man said his son and those he was camping with wanted to leave the campsite after the riot but were unable to due to the gate being locked.

“It’s a very bad situation, I had contacted DoC about it, and they said they were completely unaware of the issues and obviously their own investigations have now led to them shutting the camp,” he said.

The man said it was unfortunate the Mob had infiltrated the campground as it was a big drawcard for visitors to the Kawerau region and it was a bad look for the town.

It is understood the manager of the campsite has now been removed.

“This should never have come to be, it should be a nice family campground where people can go and feel safe,” the man said.

“There are so many things that need to be done, that aren’t being done. The department need to sort it out and change things they do in the future. What is going on and how can the Mongrel Mob be running a campground?”

Kawerau mayor Malcolm Campbell said he had heard conflicting reports on what had happened at the camp and was only focused on how the Kawerau District Council can support DoC.

“We are going to get together next week to see how we can support DoC in getting a decent manager up there, because the last thing we would want is for it to be closed to the public completely,” he said.

“It’s been our playground for the last 65 years. I have heard all the stories, and that’s what they are, stories. There are always two sides to each story and some of them are conflicting. Some have said there were gangs and others have said there weren’t.”

Mr Campbell said the good reputation of the DoC rangers should not be ruined over “an unfortunate incident at New Year’s”.

The campground is not in the Kawerau District, but the only access route is through Kawerau.

The campground and the Tarawera waterfall draw large numbers of visitors to the town each year, making it a significant tourist attraction.

Last year, the Kawerau i-SITE recorded 40,000 visitors at the campsite.

“We don’t want anyone to be kicked out of there, there has to be respect form the public and if they don’t respect it, they will lose it, simple as,” said Mr Campbell.

“This is not just for Kawerau this is for all of us.”

Mr Campbell said DoC is the correct organisation to be running the camp but may need some assistance in hiring the right staff.

Kawerau senior sergeant Yvonne Parker said it was not her place to comment on the issue and that questions should be directed to DoC.

The campground is notoriously hard to police, as it has no cellphone coverage and by the time police make it out there, a half hour drive on dirt roads, the perpetrators have already left.

A MAN who asked two young girls at Otarawairere Beach whether they liked sex has been sentenced to two months in prison.

Interim suppression preventing the naming of Paul Andrew Hislop was lifted when he appeared in the Whakatane District Court on Wednesday.

Hislop, 53, pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching his extended supervision sentence and using indecent language, related to an encounter he had with two girls last week.

According to the police summary of facts, Hislop walked past the two girls, aged 12 and 13 on Otarawairere Beach at 1pm and engaged them in a conversation about their schooling.

The girls felt uncomfortable so moved away, however, Hislop followed them, watching them from the tree-line while they swam.

After getting out of the water the two girls felt unsafe so decided to leave the beach via the bush track that leads to Ohope’s West End.

They stopped to grab sticks to “protect themselves” and one of the girls described feeling Hislop breathing on her shoulder.

Hislop followed the girls to the base of the track, stopping less than a metre away at which point he asked them “do you like sex?”

The girls replied, “what?” and Hislop is then said to have asked them “do you want to have sex?”

After replying, “that’s inappropriate” the girls walked in the opposite direction and sought assistance from other adults at the beach.

A convicted sex offender, Hislop served a five-year jail term for sexually attacking a 14-year-old girl in a Hamilton park and upon release moved to the Eastern Bay in 2009.

He fled after Brian Robinson, the then principal of Apanui School, notified parents that police had issued a notice that a sex offender had recently moved to the area.

Hislop lived in Whakatane for only one week before threats prompted him to flee the district.

Senior Sergeant Al Fenwick said Hislop had a significant and “chequered” criminal history and offending in the Eastern Bay could be seen from 2017 to present.

“His actions are extremely worrying,” he said. “The girls did the right thing in getting help from other people and calling the police.

“Kids need to know that when they feel uncomfortable in a situation like that they need to seek help from someone they trust or another adult. It could have been a lot worse,” Mr Fenwick said.

Defence lawyer Caitlin Gentleman said Hislop agreed to the summary of facts but denied that he asked the girls, “do you want to have sex?”

She said Hislop accepted that what he said was inappropriate and had been permitted by his probation officer to go to Otarawairere.

Judge Louis Bidois denied an application to continue name suppression, saying that the community deserved to know about potential risks.

hazel.osborne@thebeacon.co.nz

FAMILY harm has reared its ugly head, with December’s statistics a harrowing reflection of a decade full of hurt.

A massive 267 incidents of family harm were reported to Eastern Bay police in December alone, and with numbers rising by 12 percent annually many in the country experience this first-hand.

Nationally, every four minutes the police are called to a family harm-related incident.

“The Eastern Bay of Plenty contributes an unhealthy chunk of New Zealand’s shocking family violence statistics,” Eastern Bay of Plenty family harm prevention manager Sergeant Dave Beattie said.

“I am part of many agencies, government and NGOs that are asking the same question, ‘when is this going to slow down?’ When will this hurt, and the harm being done to whanau within our community stop?”

Hapaitia te Oranga Tangata- Safe and effective justice, is a cross-sector initiative set up to transform the criminal justice system, and a significant amount of work has been done to address these questions.

“People told us that services directed at family violence are too fragmented, under- resourced, often poorly targeted and ineffective,” a report by Hapaitia te Oranga Tangata, titles, He Waka Roimata, transforming our criminal justice system, notes.

The report echoes sentiments Mr Beattie shared about family violence, including the strain it has on smaller rural communities.

“Not all communities have equal access to the services that do exist, for example, we heard rural people often struggle to access services,” the report states.

About 40 percent of homicide in New Zealand is family violence related, and Maori are four times more likely to be killed by family violence than non-Maori.

Family Works family violence response co-ordinator Rachel Rangikouta said although resources were available for those effected by family violence, there were still gaps to be addressed, particularly working with men.

“There are some gaps, and most of the help that they provide is for women but without working with the men, nothing is really going to change.

“It can be hard for those who are looking for help that haven’t been court directed yet,” Ms Rangikouta said.

Mr Beattie has worked in the family harm sector for 12 years, and these most recent statistics had sparked outrage from Eastern Bay first responders.

“Make 2020 a year of change if the past few years have contained too much sadness with violence in the home,” he said.

“It’s the beginning of a new year and it’s the beginning of a new decade and people need to ask themselves; do they want another decade of this?” Mr Beattie said.

He Waka Roimata notes it is not easy to walk away from family violence.

“Family violence has been described as both ‘very simple and very complicated’. It is simple, because most people agree that violence in families should not be tolerated.

“However, it is complicated because (among other things) it speaks to our beliefs about relationships and gender, about who should be responsible for family and whanau wellbeing in our communities and how public and private resources should be used,” the report said.

With new programmes on the horizon, Ms Rangikouta said the crux of their work was to keep whanau safe.

“This new programme is hoping to catch the men and women in these situations and to keep families safe, and to help them to change,” she said.

“What part of aroha is that coming from. What good can come from this violence and what is it teaching the next generation?

“When does this end, how much blood needs to be on the floor before the story is over?” Mr Beattie said.

Where to reach out if you need help:

• Family Works 3071133 – Family counselling, Women’s (WAVE) and children’s (Restore) programme
• Ngati Awa Social and Health Services (07) 3060096 – Family support
• Whanau Awhina Women’s Refuge (07) 3085531
• Tuhoe Hauora (07) 3129874 – Family support
• Tuwharetoa Ki Kawerau Hauora (07) 3238025
  Family support, non-violence programme for men, family violence team
• Tautoko Mai 0800227233 – Sexual Assault Support Service
• Whakatane Police (07) 3085255 – Family Harm Team
• Shine 0508744633 – Family and Domestic Violence Helpline
• It’s not OK 0800456450 – Domestic Violence Helpline
• Women’s Refuge Crisisline 0800733843 – Women’s Refuge Helpline

hazel.osborne@thebeacon.co.nz

A Whakatane man may be the first person to face charges of possessing prohibited firearms following last year’s Labour Government gun reform.

With enough ammo to start a small war and two loaded pistols under his pillow, the man was found in possession of much more.

He appeared in the Whakatane District Court on Wednesday facing a significant raft of receiving and drug-related charges as well as two counts each of unlawfully possessing a pistol, unlawfully possessing a firearm, unlawfully possessing a prohibited firearm and unlawfully possessing a prohibited magazine.

Senior Sergeant Al Fenwick said all the firearms found on the property, two pistols, two semi-automatic assault rifles and one air rifle, were all loaded when discovered by police last Thursday.

“A warrant was issued for the man’s arrest after breaching his community work, but when police arrived at his house and began to lock him up an officer noticed a meth pipe on the coffee table,” Mr Fenwick said.

This then led the police down the rabbit hole, as the misuse of drugs act states a home can be searched if methamphetamine is found in the home.

Mr Fenwick said police seized three stolen cars, a stolen trailer, a large quantity of ammunition, cannabis and methamphetamine as well as the prohibited firearms.

“This is the first time we’ve seen this charge of possessing a prohibited firearm come through the Whakatane District Court since December 20.

“It’s a sobering image; this is a man who sleeps with two loaded pistols under his pillow and has many more loaded weapons around the property, not much needs to go wrong before something could go wrong,” Mr Fenwick said.

A police media spokesperson told the Beacon that statistics in relation to the number of individuals who had been charged with possessing a prohibited firearm would be released today.

The man was not only in possession of these firearms, he was also unlicensed.

“We’re trying to be proactive in getting this stuff off the street as fast as we can.

“There’s no upside to having these weapons on the street,” Mr Fenwick said.

The man’s criminal history outlines a long and significant past with dishonesty, drugs, assault and breaches.

He was remanded in custody without plea for disclosure and instruction and will reappear on February 19.

“It wouldn’t take much for the combination of drugs and firearms for something to go wrong and somebody to get hurt.

“It’s always good for us to get firearms off the streets,” Mr Fenwick said.

A STOLEN jet-boat and an escape through the Tarawera Forest kept Eastern Bay police busy last Friday.

Senior sergeant Al Fenwick said police were called to a rural property between Manawahe and Matata in the early hours of the morning when a man noticed his blue jet-boat had been stolen.

Upon arrival, police identified a suspicious looking vehicle towing a tandem trailer and after approaching the car, a pursuit ensued.

The car was travelling at speeds of 130kmh before noticing the patrol car following closely behind.

Slamming on the brakes, the driver fled towards Matata as police attempted to see through the heavily tinted windows.

The vehicle then swerved to the right which caused the police car to make an evasive manoeuvre.

Police overtook the vehicle, trying to stop it, but instead of stopping, the offending car began chasing the patrol car, reaching speeds of 150kmh and nearly ramming it from behind.

Mr Fenwick said the vehicle then disappeared and when police turned around to find it, they discovered it had crashed on Matata Road near Caverhill Road and the occupants had fled on foot.

Dog handlers traced their scent to a rural property where a Toyota Hilux had been stolen.

This vehicle was involved in another pursuit and was later found in the Tarawera Forest after becoming stuck in the trees and forestry.

Dog handlers tracked from the vehicle, with police apprehending a woman believed to have been involved.

She was taken to the Whakatane Police Station for questioning and was charged with unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle.

“She wasn’t very helpful would be the polite way of putting it, she was out of it, on another planet,” Mr Fenwick said.

Police believe there could be a second offender involved in the extensive pursuit and Mr Fenwick said they would use DNA evidence from the abandoned Hilux to trace any possible leads.

“There will be things like DNA and fingerprints from the vehicle that can help us.

“It’s just another tool for when we go to crime scenes; there’s a lot of avenues for forensics.

“Even if you’re wearing gloves you can be leaving DNA behind all the time wherever you go.”

Matata Volunteer Fire Brigade assisted police in cleaning up the mess on Matata Road, removing glass, tools and debris from the road while Waiotahi Contractors cleaned oil from the crash site.

Police are following inquiries into the other alleged offender.

The blue jet-boat, is still missing and police urge anybody who may have information to contact the Whakatane police or call CRIMESTOPPERS anonymously at 0800 555 111.

POLICE are seeking several people and a vehicle following an arson at Beyti’s Turkish Café in Kawerau on Tuesday.

Emergency services were called to the fire, which caused extensive damage, about 5am.

CCTV images indicate the vehicle involved is a Toyota Hilux Surf SSR-X, as pictured.

“There appears to have been a certain degree of malicious intent behind this offence,” Acting Detective Sergeant Tim Sterne said.

“Kawerau business owners deserve to feel safe as they go about making a living and providing a valuable service to their community.

“That’s why we’re asking the community to help us catch those responsible and prevent further offending.

“If you know who’s behind this, please do the right thing by contacting us.”

Information can be provided to Detective Fiona Cox by calling 105 and quoting file number 200204/8125, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A CLANDESTINE methamphetamine lab – “the largest seen for some time” – has been uncovered in Whakatane, resulting in two arrests.

The Armed Offenders Squad surrounded the Alexander Avenue property just after 5am on Thursday, as police executed a search warrant that was the result of an extended investigation targeting organised crime and the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine in Whakatane and the wider Bay of Plenty.

Senior Sergeant Al Fenwick said police were assisted by the AOS to mitigate any risks involved in the bust.

Two neighbours at the scene said they suspected something “dodgy” had been going on at the residence for quite some time.

Yesterday afternoon, police had recovered cannabis, methamphetamine, “a whole lot of pistols” and other handguns at the property as well as the elaborate lab set-up with extensive manufacturing gear.

However, Mr Fenwick believes there may be more to recover.

“We need to preserve the integrity of the scene and there were a number of handguns recovered at the address, but again the whole house still hasn’t been searched yet so who knows what we’ll find [today],” he said.

Mr Fenwick said the raid was a major logistical operation. Police were questioning multiple people from the house in relation to the bust but knew who their target was prior to executing the warrant.

Two people were arrested and are expected to appear in the Whakatane District Court this morning,

Police staff as well as the several offenders apprehended at the scene had to be decontaminated by showers after entering the residence due to the toxicity of the chemicals present.

“The priority was to make everything safe for our staff because of all of the carcinogenic chemicals and other things that could go wrong at a meth lab,” Mr Fenwick said.

He said there were no children in the house at the time of the bust.

Specialist police staff remained at the property yesterday, processing the scene, collecting evidence, and carrying out decontamination work.
It was guarded overnight to ensure no tampering with evidence or the crime scene occurred, with enquiries ongoing today.

Mr Fenwick said this was a major moment for the Whakatane police who dealt with meth-related crime daily.

“A lot of the work police do is dealing with social harm caused by meth … kids who don’t get enough food or shoes on their feet and clothes because the money is going on other things.

“For us it’s great to get any meth off the street let alone a lab that’s manufacturing the stuff. We can be rightly proud that we’ve had an effect of the flow of methamphetamine on the community.”

Mr Fenwick said a major focus for police was the quenching of organised crime and the distribution of drugs in the Eastern Bay so finding a significant site where meth was being manufactured was a step in reducing meth-related harm.

“We’ve stopped someone who is manufacturing it [meth] and have got that off the street with all of the associated evils it brings to the community and the social harm it does.

Anyone affected by methamphetamine addiction is urged to seek help through the Alcohol and Drug Helpline on 0800 787797, or free text 1737 to speak with a trained counsellor.

Police ask anyone with information regarding organised crime or drug-related offending to call 105 to report it, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

hazel.osborne@thebeacon.co.nz

A RING worth upwards of $100,000 was among the trove of valuables seized by police following the bust of a methamphetamine lab in Whakatane last Thursday.

Senior Sergeant Al Fenwick said police found large quantities of assets and cash at the Alexander Avenue property on Friday.

Mr Fenwick said the volume of cash found at the property was so significant that Armourguard, a high-value cash transportation agency, had been tasked with counting the final amount.

A substantial amount of gold, silver and other valuable items were found at the property, including a ring worth more than $100,000.

From the extent of the assets seized, Mr Fenwick said it was clear that the production of methamphetamine had been occurring at the property for some time.

Two people have been arrested in connection with the methamphetamine manufacturing operation, one of whom has appeared in court.

The police investigation is continuing and further charges are possible.

hazel.osborne@thebeacon.co.nz

AN officer was assaulted, and another pepper sprayed as police were set on by a drunken mob while trying to address neighbours’ complaints following the funeral of a baby who had died at a Peace Street address.

The Housing New Zealand-tenanted address has been the subject of numerous complaints by neighbours over the years. Whakatane District Council has received 21 noise complaints since April regarding the house.

Last Wednesday, a post-funeral get-together at the house turned ugly and neighbours had to call noise control and the police.

Police said the two-month-old baby girl had died overnight on Saturday, December 7, and the death was being treated as a “sudden infant death syndrome”, or cot death, and had been referred to the coroner.

Neighbours said after the funeral was held on Wednesday a crowd gathered at the house.

The neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said after the funeral the party got harder and more and more people began arriving. Expecting a fight, the neighbour asked police to patrol past the house.

“About 9pm the police were here and … then the fight started, and they asked the guys to stop.”

The neighbour said the police were able to calm the situation, however, at about 11.30pm another fight started.

“The police came, with about maybe 10 police and the fight was starting.”

The neighbour said the people at the house were verbally abusing the police and he believed a council employee was also present.

“And then they started fighting the police and there were so many drunken people and one was quite nasty, so the police caught him and put him on the road and took him to the police van.”

Senior Sergeant Al Fenwick said police were called to assist noise control remove a stereo as the home occupants hadn’t followed an abatement notice.

“We had to go with a noise control officer to seize the stereo and that turned ugly and a number of people got pepper sprayed, including one of our own officers, and one of our officers was assaulted,” he said.

“A large group had been drinking at the address … The guy who assaulted the policeman has been arrested and will appear in front of the court.”

The neighbour said he saw the mob turn on the police, who manged to calm them down by about midnight.

“The police left, but they kept on
going with the party, up to the morning, about 3.30am or 4am.”

The neighbour said the stereo might have been seized but they just brought in another one.

Mr Fenwick said the baby girl who died was just over two months old.

“A mother was sleeping with her baby on the couch and the baby may have been inadvertently smothered by the mother overnight. The investigation is treated as a sudden infant death and the file will go to the coroner,” he said.

“There is nothing suspicious … there is no criminal liability.”

Mr Fenwick said the baby was found deceased in the morning.

He said the coroner would hold a coronial hearing and call witnesses and make recommendations. In previous cases the coroner has recommended that the baby shouldn’t be sleeping with parents, “especially if you are intoxicated or otherwise affected” and should have baby sleeping in a cot or crib.

Mr Fenwick said he could not comment on whether the 18-year-old mother was intoxicated or not and police did not have the power to drug or alcohol test as they would have needed a warrant to do so.

“The family have just lost a two-month-old baby, whatever the circumstances it is not easy for anyone to have to go through.”

A neighbour said there was a party going on at the house on the night the baby died.

“There was a big party that day, also that night … a heavy party was going on.

“They never stop, the only days they stopped was when the child’s body was [lying in state at the house]. It was quiet.

“Otherwise they never stop the parties, almost every night, we have been calling the council and Housing NZ, but nothing happens.”

The neighbour said the noise from the house had been ongoing for years and attempts to get Housing NZ and the council to address the issue had failed.

“Police came twice on Wednesday and the council came, but they carried on the party afterwards, they don’t care about council, police or anybody.

“They say they cannot remove them from that house. They have been in that house seven-and-a-half years and they make our lives a nightmare.”

The neighbour said the noise stopped for about two months after the Beacon reported on the house in April this year, but then it started up again.

“They say they own the house; they are Maori and own this country so can do anything they want. We can’t argue with that.”

The neighbour said another neighbour who had confronted the tenants had almost been beaten up three times in the past few months.

“I also had a meeting with the council before the baby died and all they say is ‘keep on ringing’, that is all they say, but nothing happens.”

Housing NZ had not responded to requests for comment at the time of going to press.

Multiple sirens could be heard travelling out of Whakatane earlier this morning, as a man evaded arrest in Te Teko.

Senior sergeant Al Fenwick said police were attempting to arrest the offender for breaching his bail conditions, which then turned into a pursuit, “among other things”.

The man is still at large, and authorities will continue to search for the offender and the vehicle.

Cordons were initially set in place earlier this morning but have since been stood down.

“Things will return to normal in the Te Teko area,” Mr Fenwick said.

Whakatane Police are seeking witnesses in relation to an arson at the Kawerau Netball and Sports Pavilion on Plunket Street earlier this week.

At around 7:30pm on Sunday the toilet block at the pavilion caught fire. Many members of the public captured the blaze on their cellphones and posted images and video to social media sites.

Senior Sergeant Al Fenwick expressed disappointment at the attack given that the venue played host to a multitude of community events for those living in the town.

Three juvenile offenders were initially taken in for questioning, however Whakatane police are still appealing for information.

If there are any witnesses to the fire, or anyone who observed anything suspicious, they should contact Detective Blair Adamson on 07 308 5255.