Rota John Kohi Ranapia [after beating Stephen Patrick Rundlett to death] Ranapia stood over his victim, covered in blood
Rota John Kohi Ranapia viciously beat a man to death just hours after meeting him.
The murder happened at a farmhouse Ranapia occupied in Tauraroa, 24km southwest of Whangarei, on September 8, 2008.
Ranapia pleaded guilty to a charge of murdering Stephen Patrick Rundlett before the jury was selected for the start of a two-week trial in the High Court at Whangarei yesterday.
The police summary of facts says Ranapia was drinking with his cousins, Nigel and Hedley Paora , on September 7 last year and later drove to Whangarei to buy more alcohol.
Nigel and Ranapia visited Mr Rundlett at his Anzac Rd flat where they had a few drinks before all three returned to Tauraroa.
Mr Rundlett and Nigel were friends.
During the drinking session at Ranapia's farmhouse, Nigel went to sleep in a car parked in the garage.
An argument developed between Ranapia and Mr Rundlett about midnight while the former's partner and daughter were watching television in a bedroom.
Mr Rundlett fell to the ground and Ranapia got on top and started punching him with both fists in the head and face.
Ranapia's partner tried to drag him away, but was ordered to go back to her room while Nigel, who woke up and asked what happened to Mr Rundlett, left the house after Ranapia threw several punches at him.
Mr Rundlett lay motionless on the kitchen floor with Ranapia standing over him, covered in blood.
Ranapia then picked him up, dragged him to the doorway and started punching and kicking him again.
Mr Rundlett had cuts to his head, a broken neck, bruising to his face and body, some bleeding to the brain.
He had handfuls of his own hair from holding on to his head to protect himself and covering his face.
Ranapia then went to his partner's bedroom, hugged her and their daughter and said: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I think I've killed him."
He then drove to the home of his work supervisor, Pat Clotworthy, about 12.20am on September 8 and told him he bashed someone who was badly hurt.
Mr Clotworthy found Mr Rundlett lying on the garage floor in a pool of blood before calling police and an ambulance.
When police arrived, Ranapia walked out of his farmhouse with his hands in the air saying: "It's me, it's me, I did it, I did it."
He told police he punched Mr Rundlett continuously after an argument over a friend and that he wanted him to leave his house.
Justice Lynton Stevens remanded Ranapia in custody for sentencing on October 23.
Guilty: Murder
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