Father accused of terrifying sons with execution threat mimicking Aramoana massacre

William Thomas Cohen is the father of five boys he allegedly abused when they were in his care. Photo / 123rf

WARNING: This article discusses violence towards children and may be upsetting to some readers.

A father is alleged to have subjected his five sons to extreme psychological terror - including lining them up for execution the day after the 1990 Aramoana massacre and telling them he was going to do the same to them.

“I’m just playing mind games with you,” he is alleged to have said as the children screamed in terror.

William Thomas Cohen, 68, pleaded not guilty to 38 historical abuse charges in February 2022. His jury trial began in the Whangārei District Court late last week before Judge Taryn Bayley.

Cohen is accused of subjecting his five sons to severe physical and psychological abuse over more than a decade.

The abuse allegedly took place between 1988 and 1999 in various locations in New Zealand including Feilding, Himatangi Beach and Te Kōpuru.

It was another 15 years before the boys came forward as adults and made statements to the police.

Some of the charges involve sharp weapons, firearms, injuring with intent or reckless disregard, threatening to kill and 16 charges of cruelty to a child, including shooting a cat while a child held it.

Crown lawyer Trelise Needham opened her case to the jury by laying out the background of the relationship between Cohen and the boy’s mother as violent.

She said the children were exposed to violence from an early age.

After their parents separated, the boys were placed in multiple foster homes before coming back into the full-time care of their father.

The Crown alleges the sons endured brutal punishments for minor infractions such as failing to complete school assignments, leaving clothes on the floor, or getting hurt while playing.

Cohen is alleged to have used his fists, bamboo sticks and jug cords to inflict pain and the boys were allegedly threatened with a shotgun on multiple occasions.

On day two of the trial, one son recalled the “Aramoana incident” where Cohen is alleged to have lined his children up near the breakfast bar and said he was going to do the same to them, but would only need one bullet.

He allegedly told them to keep their heads still before leaving the room to get a rifle and returning saying: “I’m going to f****** do it! Say goodbye to each other!”.

The complainants were reportedly terrified before Cohen allegedly said: “I’m just playing mind games with you”.

“Thinking back as a kid, I was baffled and sh** scared. I was fearful of running away and leaving my brothers there,” the eldest son said in evidence.

Another key allegation in the trial revolves around an incident where Cohen allegedly made his children walk 10km each way along Himatangi Beach, near Palmerston North.

One of the children was only 4 years old at the time.

Cohen allegedly had a knife and did not tell the boys why they were walking so far and the Crown said he made comments about burying them in the dunes.

William Cohen is alleged to have walked his five children 20km along Himatangi Beach, threatening to bury them in the dunes. Photo / Tripadvisor

The son gave evidence that it was not normal for them to do a 20km walk.

“It was completely different,” he said.

“It felt like we were being marched out for him to do us in.”

Cohen shook his head as the testimony was being given.

In an evidential interview played to the jury, another son, and the one who reportedly took most of the alleged abuse, recounted significant memories of trauma.

“The reason for his excuse for his abuse was that I reminded him of my mother and that used to infuriate him.

“I was not good at times tables and [for] every one I got wrong, I got the jug chord across the hands.

“He taught me to hold my breath by the sheer fact he used to hold me around the neck until I almost passed out telling me: ‘Go to sleep’.

“There wasn’t a day that went by that I wouldn’t get a hiding.”

The son said the only memory he has of his mother is a photo Cohen allegedly put along a fenceline and fired gunshots at.

He also claims Cohen would make him eat his faeces when he soiled the bed, which the defence refuted.

Cohen’s lawyer Arthur Fairley said although his client admits to disciplining the boys, many allegations are exaggerated.

“It was a different time, this was a time before the anti-smacking laws and he was a father raising five boys on his own,” Fairley said.

Fairley suggested to the witness that nothing to do with faeces ever occurred.

“That’s wrong. It did,” he responded.

“Your dad’s case is, he never used to kick you,” Fairley put to the son.

“That’s false,” he responded.

“Your dad’s case is he never used to punch you.”

“That’s false.”

“Your dad’s case is he never held you up against the ground.”

“That’s false. He’s lying.”

The trial is expected to continue into next week.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.