Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Closing arguments at Waihi Beach murder trial

By James Ihaka of the New Zealand Herald
Bay of Plenty Times·
24 Oct, 2013 12:23 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A jury has heard the closing arguments at the trial of Israel Kaihau who is accused of murdering expat New Zealander Robert Wilkinson at Waihi Beach.

Kaihau, 19, has admitted killing Mr Wilkinson, who died of a stab wound to the head on January 3.

But he says he did
not murder the 64-year-old, who was holidaying at Waihi Beach at the time.

In his closing submission, Crown prosecutor Ross Douch said Kaihau was an "inherently unreliable'' witness who had "lied and lied and lied''.

Kaihau had tried to hide evidence that would implicate himself in the killing, and a week later he tried to fool a Waihi detective into believing his bogus alibi that he was at home at the time of the incident, Mr Douch told the court.

"In the face of mounting evidence he remained steadfast, becoming even belligerent or indignant, at the proposition that gives you an indication of how far he will go.''

Mr Douch said despite Kaihau's argument that he reacted instinctively when he claimed Mr Wilkinson stood on his injured leg, he did not let out a yell in pain.

"Isn't that funny that was without a sound ... all Mrs Wilkinson heard was her husband then this terrible bang.''

"There was no yelp, no cursing ... isn't that remarkable that he suffered in silence ?''

He said Kaihau was carrying a knife that "wasn't a toy or innocuous'' and his level of intoxication was not so bad that he would be "incapable to realise'' that it was not a dangerous weapon.

The knife, which has not been recovered, was believed to have been at least 8.5cm in length and 3.5cm in width at its midpoint.

By targeting Mr Wilkinson's head he could only have had murderous intent.

But Kaihau's lawyer Paul Mabey QC said his client was not on trial for lying to police or hiding evidence.

Mr Mabey said the evidence showed Kaihau was in a happy mood on the evening in question, and there was no suggestion prior to his altercation with Mr Wilkinson that he was aggressive or looking for trouble.

"How does a happy, drunken young boy become a cold blooded killer because a householder says to him `I'm going to report you'?''

"The issue is whether Mr Kaihau carried in his mind the intent of a murderer; that's the long and the short of it.''

Justice Robert Dobson was about to deliver his summing up of the case. The jury is likely to enter deliberations shortly.

Discover more

I didn't get justice, says widow

24 Oct 10:01 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

11 Jul 05:30 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

11 Jul 05:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Hardly surviving': Sales fall after dairy raid

11 Jul 03:29 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

11 Jul 05:30 AM

Emergency services are responding to a two-vehicle crash on SH29 which has closed the road

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

11 Jul 05:00 AM
'Hardly surviving': Sales fall after dairy raid

'Hardly surviving': Sales fall after dairy raid

11 Jul 03:29 AM
Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

11 Jul 03:01 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP