Sonny Tau pleads guilty to hunting native wood pigeon

Sonny Tau.

Ngapuhi leader Sonny Tau has pleaded guilty to a charge of hunting a protected bird.

It comes after he had earlier admitted possession of five Kukupa.

He was today convicted in the Auckland District Court on both charges.

A new charge, of conspiring to perverting the course of justice, was also brought by the police.

Tau, 61, who appeared in court today supported by family, did not enter a plea in relation to that charge.

Tau was found with a number of Kukupa at Invercargill Airport in June.

The Department of Conservation charged him with killing or hunting a protected species and another of unlawfully being in possession of protected wildlife.

Since the incident, Tau, has stood aside from his position of chairman of Tuhoronuku, the body recognised as having mandate to negotiate the Ngapuhi Treaty Settlement.

The maximum penalty for taking a protected species is a fine of up to $100,000 or two years in prison.

Tau will be back in court in January.