Police are asking for public assistance to locate an offender who escaped from court after being sentenced to a short prison term.
Mana Justin Tangitutu, 27, had been sentenced to four months imprisonment at Whakatane District Court for a family violence assault on a female.
He has links to the Gisborne area, Whakatane, Tauranga and the North Shore.
After being sentenced he was placed in a court cell by police officers on court escort duty. While the officers then dealt with another prisoner, Tangitutu escaped from the cell and managed to leave the court building.
The escape was discovered a few minutes later, about 5.15pm. Cordons were put in place around Whakatane until 7pm and various area enquiries and searches were carried out.