A Moerewa man on the run from police for months was refused bail when he appeared in the Kaikohe District Court on Tuesday. Dylan Cooper, also known as Dylan Carrington, 30, evaded police several times despite large-scale searches by armed police, dogs and the Eagle helicopter. The Mongrel Mob member was finally arrested in Hokianga on November 15 and faces more than 20 serious firearms, robbery and driving charges. He was remanded in custody until December 14 when he is expected to again apply for bail.
Car in bush plunge
Opua's main road was closed after a car plummeted into steep bush where it stopped only when it hit a pine tree. The driver is thought to have been heading up on Franklin Rd when he crossed onto the wrong side of the road near the top of the hill and over the edge about 3.50pm on Tuesday. Firefighters secured the car to stop it dropping any further while St John Ambulance treated the driver, who appeared to be uninjured but was dazed and confused. The road was closed while the vehicle was winched out of the bush.
Teen mums show off jewellery
Young mums from Hiwa-i-te-rangi, the school for teen parents in Kaikohe, are holding an exhibition at Te Wā on Broadway of jewellery they have made this year. The pop-up show will run from 10am-4pm on December 8 with the students on hand to talk about their work. The jewellery was created under the tutorship of Stacey Noel from Maranga Ake Trust and incorporates pounamu, copper, mother of pearl and woven fibre. Behind each piece is a story about what it represents in terms of the young mothers' whānau, their life journeys and the ngahere (forest).
Child hit
An 8-year-old child suffered minor injuries in a collision with a ute outside Kaitaia College in Pukepoto Rd on Tuesday morning. Acting Senior Sergeant Alison Holdaway said the child had a good job of looking one way but not the other.
Charges after tree felled
A Northland man charged over the July felling of a kauri tree at Whangarei Hospital will reappear in court early next year.
Antony Shawn Ellis, 51, is facing a charge of intentional damage and appeared in the Whangarei District Court last week.
He was remanded on bail to reappear for a case review on February 23, 2021.
Police arrested Ellis in Auckland after earlier putting out a public appeal for information, and a CCTV image of the alleged offender.
The 80-year-old tree, outside the Jim Carney Cancer Treatment Centre on the Whangarei Hospital campus, was cut down during a storm on July 15, about 10.45pm. CCTV footage showed a man with a large yellow chainsaw, placing orange road cones around the fall area and then cutting down the tree, waving to the cameras as he left.