Murder accused remanded
Rex Prole, the Tauranga man accused of murdering his 57-year-old wife Robyn was back in Tauranga District Court yesterday. Prole, 64, who is yet to enter a plea to the charge, was further remanded in custody pending the completion of a psychiatric assessment report.
His lawyer Glenn Dixon opposed the Bay of Plenty Times' request to take an in-court photograph of his client, successfully arguing that it would be inappropriate at this time as Prole's fitness to stand trial is yet to be determined. Mrs Prole was found dead on July 20. Judge Thomas Ingram further remanded Prole in custody and he is due back in court on August 20.
Bail application pending
One of three men charged in relation to the robberies of the Park Rd Dairy in Katikati and Mobil Service Station in Waihi remains in custody but an application for electronic bail is pending.
Rastaman Rapatini, 19, faced two joint charges of assault with intent to rob and unrelated driving charges when he appeared in Tauranga District Court yesterday.
Police claim the robberies, which court documents reveal involved a pistol and claw hammer occurred within half an hour of each other on the morning of June 18. Rapatini, who is yet to plead to the charges, did not seek bail, but his lawyer revealed an application for electronically-monitored bail is to be made.
Rapatini is due back in court on August 20. One of his two alleged co-offenders, aged 17, is due back in court today, and the other, aged 19, from Rotorua, is back in court on August 21. Both defendants have interim name suppression.
Attack accused in court
The Mount Maunganui man charged in relation to the brutal beating of two women at an Arataki address in July remains behind bars. The women, aged 22 and 39, were treated at Tauranga Hospital for facial and head injuries and later discharged following an incident at a Carter St, Arataki address in the early hours of July 12.
Phillip Wipatene Hunter, 29, who faced charges of assault with intent to injure and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in Tauranga District Court yesterday, was further remanded in custody pending an electronically-monitored bail application being heard on August 20.