Jesse Waenga has been remanded without plea on a range of possession, drug and theft charges.

Waenga appeared at Ōpōtiki District Court last Thursday charged with possessing utensils for consuming methamphetamine, consuming meth, possession of an offensive weapon, two counts of shoplifting valued under $500, three counts of theft valued under $500, and a burglary valued between $500 and $1000.

When Judge Louis Bidois told Waenga he had been charged with entering a container on Wainui Road on December 5 to commit a burglary, along with a co-offender, Waenga asked to see evidence of this.

Judge Bidois remanded Waenga for two weeks for a lawyer to be assigned.

He will reappear on January 23 for plea.

Nine shoplifting charges

An Ōpōtiki man has been sentenced to six months in prison on a series of dishonesty charges after shoplifting over $600 worth of product from local stores.

Tiare Kereopa, 23, pleaded guilty to nine counts of shoplifting, five counts of wilful trespass, unlawfully being in an enclosed yard or area, and wilful damage.

From New World Ōpōtiki, Kereopa shoplifted groceries on four occasions of amounts of $74.88, $191.99, $120, and $65. He took $92 of food and glasses from Caltex Ōpōtiki, and two packets of lamb valued at $30 from Blue Moon Four Square.

Other charges of shoplifting from various stores included amounts of $65, $7.19 and $20.

He trespassed on New World Ōpōtiki property on five occasions.

He also damaged a window at Kāinga Ora and was found in an enclosed area on King Street, Ōpōtiki.

Judge Louis Bidois sentenced Kereopa to six months’ prison – the amount of time he had already spent in custody – with six months’ standard and special release conditions.

Kereopa was ordered to pay $150 reparation for the broken window.

Remand for legal aid

Leo Ransfield was advised by Judge Bidois to consult with a lawyer before proceeding with plea on his assault charges.

He has been charged with assault with intent to injure and contravening a protection order.

Ransfield is alleged to have assaulted his cousin after having a few beers and a “bit of an argument”.

The summary of facts alleges Ransfield punched his cousin four times in the head, the act being more severe because of a prior brain injury suffered by the complainant.

Ransfield denied hitting his cousin in the head, and said he was “just pushing him around”.

Judge Bidois remanded Ransfield until January 23 for plea and advised him to get a lawyer to sort out the differing accounts of himself and the prosecution.

49-hour absence from ‘home D’

A man has received a sentence of community work after being absent from his home detention address for 49 hours.

Dean Stensness pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching home detention.

His lawyer, Lisa Ebbers, said Stensness left the house during a domestic argument with his partner.

“He did the right thing by leaving – but he was on home detention, so it was not the right thing,” Ms Ebbers said.

Judge Bidois sentenced Stensness to 100 hours of community work.

“If you breach again, you’ll go to jail. You don’t get to just walk out of jail Mr Stensness,” Judge Bidois said.

Remanded to find hearing date

Sam Stansbury has been remanded further to allow the court time to find a two-day hearing date for his trial on firearms charges.

Stansbury has pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill, unlawful possession of a firearm, reckless disregard of a firearm, performing a dangerous act with intent to do grievous bodily harm with a firearm, and two counts of presenting a firearm.

The Crown is prosecuting the charge of a dangerous act with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and said this additional charge increased the allotted trial time required from one day to two.

Judge Bidois remanded Stansbury until April 17 when the court would try to find two days for the trial.

Refused to return borrowed car

Mason Hunuhunu has been fined for refusing to return a borrowed car in a timely manner.

He was charged with unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, failing to answer district court bail and breach of community work.

He pleaded guilty to the unlawful taking and failing to answer bail charges.

His lawyer, Jonathan Kay, said he took his partner’s brother’s white Holden Captiva valued at $7000 for a trip to Gisborne and “got up to trouble”.

The family asked Hunuhunu to bring the car back, but he stayed in Gisborne a while longer. The Holden was eventually returned with no damage.

Judge Bidois fined Hunuhunu $600 plus court costs.

Brother threatened

A Toatoa man has been fined for threatening his brother during a family dispute.

Jamie Rolleston, 51, pleaded guilty to two counts of wilful damage and behaving threateningly.

His lawyer, Lisa Ebbers, said Rolles-ton’s actions were a result of a whānau dispute.

“His behaviour was not ideal, but the circumstances forced him into it,” she said. Rolleston addressed the judge directly.

“I’m not a violent person really your honour. My brother was yelling all this rubbish, him and my mother,” he said.

Judge Bidois said he would give Rolleston a supervision sentence.

“You can’t go smashing stuff and yelling at them, saying things like you’ll “burn the house down”,” Judge Bidois said. “There are always two sides to the story, but you’re the one in the dock.”

Rolleston was fined $200 on each of the three charges and sentenced to nine months’ supervision.

Stolen ANZ bank cheques

An Ōpōtiki man has been sentenced after stealing $4660 via bank cheques.

Bryndyn Collier, 43, was charged with taking two ANZ bank cheques from Touchwood Solidwood Homes to obtain pecuniary advantage.

He pleaded guilty to the charge of taking a document for pecuniary advantage.

His lawyer, Whare Hika, said Collier was remorseful. “He knows what he did was wrong, and he has not been in trouble in the last five years,” he said.

Judge Bidois ordered Collier to pay $4660 in reparation and sentenced him to 160 hours of community work.

Bail granted

An Ōpōtiki man has been granted bail after being held in custody on burglary and possession charges.

Kruze Tumarae, 28, was charged with burglary of Lowes Hire & Engineering, taking property valued over $1000, possession of a pipe used for methamphetamine, and possessing cannabis seed.

Judge Bidois remanded Tumarae on bail until March 20, with a curfew condition between 8pm and 6am.

Boating bail breach

A man has been warned after breaching bail due to a boating mishap.

Te Manawa Turei is bailed on charges including five counts of assault of a person in a family relationship, assault of a child, impeding a person’s breathing and blood circulation and wilful damage.

He told Judge Bidois he was stuck on his boat and was unable to get home in time for the bail check.

Judge Bidois let him off with a warning.

“If you get into trouble again, watch out,” he told Turei.

Turei was remanded until February 12.

Anniversary breach

William Wiremu received a final warning after appearing for a breach of bail.

Wiremu is on bail for a charge of assault of a person in a family relationship. He was visited by the complainant on their anniversary, which was a breach of a bail condition not to contact the complainant.

He told Judge Bidois he had told the complainant she could not see him until after the court proceedings were over.

Judge Bidois gave Wiremu a “final warning”, and asked police to communicate to the complainant that she could not visit Wiremu.

“No more after this, watch this space,” Wiremu told the judge.