EM bail denied

A man has had his electronically monitored bail application denied in light of new charges.

Karaitiana Matthews appeared in Whakatāne District Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to assault of a person in a family relationship, driving dangerously, and failing to stop to ascertain injury.

He also faced three new charges – two counts of attempted arson and threatening to kill – which he has denied.

He will appear on April 17 for case review on these.

His lawyer, Nicki Franklin, said Matthews wanted to apply for EM bail. This application was opposed by police before being denied by Judge Louis Bidois.

The judge said the address, although unsuitable for EM bail, could be reassessed at sentencing as a home detention address.

He was remanded on his convicted matters until May 1 for sentencing.

Incomplete bail check

A Tāneatua man has had his bail application adjourned due to an incomplete police check of the proposed address.

Nohowaka Kinghazel has been charged with assaulting a person with a blunt instrument, namely a metal bar, cultivating cannabis, possessing a pipe for smoking methamphetamine, procuring meth and breaching his intensive supervision conditions.

His lawyer, Rebecca Plunket, said although the application had been made, police had not yet checked the address.

Judge Bidois remanded Kinghazel until April 9 for another application date.

Range of offending

A Whakatāne man has been released from custody on a supervision sentence following a range of offending.

Tyson Maea was convicted of receiving property valued over $1000, speaking threateningly and driving while on a suspended licence.

He had received a stolen 2015 Subaru Impreza valued at $7500, spoken threateningly to intimidate a police officer, and been caught driving along King Street in Whakatāne.

Judge Bidois said since the range of offending included dishonesty, violence and driving charges, he would give Maea a supervision sentence.

Maea was sentenced to nine months’ supervision and disqualified from driving for six months.

Charge withdrawn

An Edgecumbe man has had a charge withdrawn, and another amended in relation to an assault.

Kale Marr, 31, was initially charged with male assaults female and injuring with intent to injure.

The former charge was withdrawn by police, and the latter amended to an assault with intent to injure.

His lawyer, Lisa Ebbers, said Marr pleaded guilty to the amended charge.

Marr was remanded until June 11 for sentencing.

Unit attacked

A Foxton man has been sentenced to community work after attacking a building unit while looking for his partner.

Kleveland Purcell, 23, was convicted of intentional damage to a unit.

His lawyer, Whare Hika, told the court Purcell had been frustrated while looking for his partner at 11.30pm when he attacked the unit, causing $500 in damages.

“She was clearly hiding from you, and for good reason,” Judge Bidois told Purcell.

He was sentenced to 140 hours’ community work, as well as an additional 40 hours community work for remitted fines. He was ordered to pay $500 in reparation.

Guilty pleas to child assault

A man has pleaded to a series of assault charges, including multiple child assault incidents.

Matthew Anderson was initially charged with injury with intent to injure, but police amended this to a charge of assault with intent to injure. He pleaded guilty to the amended charge.

He also pleaded guilty to three charges of child assault.

Judge Bidois ordered a pre-sentence report and remanded Anderson until June 11 for sentencing.

“Abide by your bail, stay out of trouble,” Judge Bidois told Anderson.

Final adjournment for home detention address

A woman has received a final adjournment to find a new home detention address.

Teria Rapana has pleaded guilty to possession for supply of cannabis plant and failing to carry out her obligations to police.

She has additionally been charged with selling cannabis and offering to sell cannabis, both to which she has yet to plea.

Her co-offender recently received a sentence of two years’ imprisonment.

Her bail address was not able to be checked by police or corrections, and Judge Bidois offered her a final chance to find a new address.

“You need to find an address for a house, Miss Rapana, I can’t stress to you how serious this all is,” he said.

She was remanded until April 30.

Imprisoned for community detention breach

A Matatā man is in prison after breaching his community detention sentence while on bail for two assault charges.

Josh Allen, 23, broke his curfew, breaching a previous community detention sentence, to which he pleaded guilty.

Judge Bidois sentenced Allen to seven weeks’ imprisonment and cancelled his community detention sentence while he waited out his next court date in custody.

He has also been charged with assault of a person in a family relationship and assault of a child.

The child involved in the alleged assault was a six-month old baby.

Allen has yet to plead to the assault charges, and his lawyer, Paul Devoy, said bail was not sought at this time.

Allen was remanded without plea until April 16.

Sixth drink driving charge

A man has been sentenced to home detention after being caught drink driving for a sixth time, the most recent incident being while he was subject to an alcohol interlock licence.

Derek Kupai was convicted of drink driving while having an alcohol interlock licence and driving contrary to his alcohol interlock.

Kupai had been drinking when a relative persuaded him to drive a car not fitted with an interlock device.

The pair arrived at a police check point, and Kupai complied with the breath alcohol test and was subsequently arrested.

Judge Bidois said Kupai had a high reading and was drunk at the time he was arrested.

This was Kupai’s third drink driving offence in six months.

He was indefinitely disqualified from driving and sentenced to seven months’ home detention.

Elbowed victim in self defence

A Rototuna man has been fined after elbowing a victim while trying to leave a property.

Patrick Kawhena, 42, had been trying to leave a property in Edgecumbe when someone grabbed him from behind. He swung his elbow back, striking the victim.

The victim also pulled the finger at Kawhena, who, in response, slapped her hand away.

He was convicted of assault on a person in a family relationship and contravening a protection order.

His lawyer, Rebecca Plunket, said the offending was at the “lower end of the scale than usually seen in this court”.

Judge Bidois acknowledged the act of elbowing the victim was in self-defence, but said it was excessive.

“Two wrongs don’t make a right,” he told Kawhena.

Judge Bidois fined the defendant $400 plus costs and ordered him to come up if called upon for six months.

Refusing to give blood

A woman has been sentenced to home detention after her fifth drink driving offence.

Anthony Willis-Kingi was convicted of refusing an officer's request to give blood for testing.

Her lawyer, Paul Devoy, said Willis-Kingi had self-reported substance use as a method of dealing with previous trauma and was seeking help for this.

Judge Bidois said this was Willis-Kingi's third drink driving conviction in five years.

He sentenced her to four months’ home detention and six months’ release conditions and disqualified her from driving indefinitely.

Tomahawk used to intimidate

A man has been sentenced to community work after using a tomahawk against a man because he thought the man’s sone was staring at him.

William Haywood was convicted of possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a pipe for cannabis.

He had confronted the victim’s son outside the Aquatic Centre because he thought the son was staring at him.

Judge Bidois said there was “a bit of an argy-bargy" before Haywood went to get his tomahawk.

The victim stayed in his car until Haywood eventually walked away.

The victim’s three children were present at the scene, aged 3, 10 and 16.

“You have a brain on your shoulders, but you need to apply it to making better pro-social decisions,” Judge Bidois told the defendant.

Haywood was sentenced to 120 hours’ community work and 12 months’ supervision.