A brief taste of freedom

The 21-year-old Kaitaia man who was allegedly driving a car that crashed through the Far North Christian Centre fence at Awanui on Wednesday afternoon was in a police cell by 6pm, eight hours after he had been released from prison.

Heta Lloyd Brass was remanded in custody until July 13 when he appeared before Judge Greg Davis in the Kaitaia District Court on Thursday, without plea on charges of dangerous driving, refusing blood, obstructing police and indecent assault.

Police claim that Brass had been released from prison in Auckland at 10am on Wednesday, having served terms imposed late last year on four convictions of breaching home detention, one of wilful damage and one of unlawfully taking a vehicle. The crash at Awanui occurred at some time around 5pm.

Brass allegedly committed an indecent assault on a female police officer while en route to the Kaitaia police station, and was handcuffed.

He was aggressive and unco-operative at the police station, allegedly urinating in the breathalyser suite, was restrained and placed in a cell. Bail was opposed, and was not applied for, when Brass appeared in court next day, his lawyer telling the court that an application had been made for legal aid.

Meanwhile Pamapuria woman Aroha Kaye Pukeroa was remanded on bail without plea on a charge of making a false statement.

According to police she had claimed to be driving the car at the time of the accident, and had been arrested for "telling fibs."

A police spokesman said reliable independent witnesses had identified Brass as the driver.

Pukeroa's lawyer told the court that his client had no problem with the bail condition that she live at a specified address at Pamapuria, but had some difficulty with the second condition, prohibiting her from having contact with Brass.

Judge Davis said that need not be a problem; she had the choice of accepting the condition or being remanded in custody. Pukeroa accepted the first option, after a very brief discussion.

A legal aid application had also been made for her, pending her next appearance on August 3.