Body snatched from hearse

Dick Peacock, brother of Ivy (inset), consoles her daughter Joy Clarke. Photos / Sarah Ivey and Greg Bowker

The body of a 76-year-old woman was snatched from the back of a hearse as her grieving family were about to take her to the cemetery for burial.

Ivy May Ngahooro's body was taken yesterday, allegedly by her estranged daughter Joanne, and was last night believed to be lying in a home in Taumarunui - against the dead woman's wishes.

Mrs Ngahooro, who was Pakeha, died on Friday after a long battle with cancer and had been lying at Seddon Park Funeral Home in Hamilton.

She was due to be buried in the city at 11am yesterday - as per her will - but a dispute broke out between her family as she was being loaded into the hearse at 10am.

It is understood Mrs Ngahooro's estranged daughter arrived from Taumarunui with four carloads of supporters wanting to take her mother back to a marae. The group reportedly pulled the coffin from the hearse, loaded it into a four-wheel-drive and left the funeral home.

Mrs Ngahooro's niece Trish Scoble, who is the executor of her will, said the funeral director tried to stop her aunt's body from being taken while other relatives called the police.

The director then followed Joanne's car, which was stopped at a police roadblock where the Maori liaison officer tried to negotiate between the two parties for an hour.

The police were unable to do anything, however, and Joanne and her supporters eventually drove off with the body, leaving Mrs Scoble and her family distraught that a loved one could be snatched so easily.

"We are just in absolute shock at the moment," she told the Herald last night. "We just can't believe this. There is nothing to stop you from coming in and taking someone's body. It's got to be changed."

Mrs Scoble said her family had no idea if they would see Mrs Ngahooro's
body again as they have heard Joanne is planning on burying her at a marae tomorrow.

They are now trying to get an injunction to prevent that from happening and plan to take their case to MPs today.

The Herald last night tracked down Mrs Ngahooro's body to a house in Taumarunui, where a number of cars were lined up on the lawn and people were sitting on the front doorstep.

A woman there, whom the Herald understands to be Joanne, refused requests for an interview. "There's nothing to say. Please get off the property," she said.

Two whanau members parked their cars at the end of the driveway to act as sentries.