Kaitāia businessman Monty Knight is being remembered as "extraordinary".
NZ First has paid tribute to “extraordinary” Far North business leader Monty Knight, who was allegedly murdered on Sunday.
Emergency services were called to an Okahu Rd address about 12.35pm, where 80-year-old Knight was found with critical injuries.
Despite the best efforts from emergency services, he died at the scene.
A 57-year-old woman has since been charged with murder.
She appeared in the Kaitāia District Court yesterday and was granted interim name suppression.
The woman was remanded in custody until her next appearance in the High Court at Whangārei on December 5.
News of Knight’s death sent shock waves through Northland and further afield, including Parliament.
NZ First deputy leader Shane Jones today acknowledged on behalf of his caucus and the party’s leader Winston Peters, “the tragic passing of an extraordinary identity from Northland”.
He praised Knight for “single-handedly” putting Kaitāia on the map in the past several decades.
“An amazing entrepreneur, an amazing business owner, a man who stood up to represent his community in local government,” Jones said.
Knight was born and bred in Kaitāia and began his career as an entrepreneur with a shoeshine stand.
In 1968 he opened a tiny record store called Monty’s Disc Inn. The business flourished and eventually grew into a major supplier of electronics, appliances and beds.
He succeeded an older brother as owner of Knights the Jewellers, which was founded by his parents, and established critically acclaimed vineyard Okahu Estate in 1984.
In 2021, Knight was inducted to the Northern Advocate Business Hall of Fame, calling it one of the highlights of his career.
He was a Far North District councillor from 2010 and was also elected to the Northland Regional Council in 2015.
Knight unsuccessfully stood for the Far North mayoralty several times, and this year threw his hat in the ring again as a district council candidate.
Jones described Knight as “a person who never stopped advocating for the North”.
“I want to reflect and join with the thousands of other Northlanders, New Zealanders, who enjoyed his Okahu wine, who loved his infectious humour, who respected the resilience that the man had to ensure that Northland had the best of opportunities in terms of commerce, retail, and also a high quality of life,” he said.
“We mourn your passing, Monty. We salute you. You were a tōtara tree, a great towering, sheltering influence for those of us who grew up in the Kaitāia area.”
Northland kaumātua and former government minister Dover Samuels was shocked to learn Knight had died.
Samuels said the pair and Joe Carr, who is now a Northland Regional councillor, had served together on the Far North District Council together.
He described Knight as “one of the best” colleagues and friends he had in his many years of local government politics.
“A mighty totara has fallen but will never be forgotten,” Samuels said.
“E te Rangatira te hoa e Monty. Haere Haere. Hoea to Waka. Ko marino te moana o Te Rerenga-Wairua ki Hawaiki nui! Hawaiki pāmamao. Arohanui. [The spirits from Cape Reinga have clamed the sea for you for your journey to great Hawaii! Far away. Much love.]”
Far North Kahika Moko Tepania said the loss of such a long-standing Far North community and business champion was tragic.
“We send our thoughts and prayers to Monty’s whānau, and our wider community affected by his loss. Moe mai rā e te rangatira, e okioki i te aroha o te Atua.”
To acknowledge Knight’s death, flags at Far North District Council offices will fly at half-mast on the day of his funeral. Details of which are yet to be made public.