Police make arrests over Kawakawa home invasion

Whangae Rd, near Kawakawa, where a 92-year-old woman living alone was assaulted and robbed.

Police have charged two women with last week's attack on a 92-year-old widow in her home near Kawakawa.

Both have appeared in the Kaikohe District Court, on charges of aggravated robbery and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and have been remanded in custody, to appear in the Whangārei District Court on Monday.

Police are not looking for anyone else.

First to appear, by audio-visual link from Auckland Women's prison, was 24-year-old Bella Rina Rudolph, from Kaikohe, who was arrested on Friday on six unrelated burglary charges relating to earlier incidents in Kawakawa, Kerikeri, Oromahoe, Rawene and Paihia.

Rudolph's mother, partner and young children were in court during her emotionally charged appearance, a clearly distraught Rudolph waving to her children, who called out, "Where are you?" and "Mummy, when are you coming home?"

When it became impossible to hear over their shouts Judge John McDonald ordered that they be removed from the courtroom, saying it was not appropriate to have children in court under such circumstances, while Rudolph continued to weep and hold her head in her hands.

Forty-year-old Carrisa Angelique Davis, from Kawakawa, appeared on Tuesday, making no attempt to engage with the handful of people in the public gallery.

Neither woman applied for name suppression.

Rudolph indicated she would apply for bail on Monday, while Judge McDonald declined an application by the Northern Advocate to photograph her, because it was her first appearance.

He warned her lawyer, however, that he would grant permission at her next appearance unless she could come up with "some very strong arguments" why he shouldn't.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Senior Sergeant Rhys Johnston, said police were aware that the community had been appalled by the incident, and were pleased to be able to hold those allegedly responsible to account.

"We want to reassure the community that police take matters of this nature extremely seriously, and we will investigate thoroughly," he said.

The public response to an appeal for information had been pleasing, he added.

"We've been contacted by several members of the Mid North community who have provided valuable information, and we want to thank those people for their assistance," he said.

Earlier Mr Johnston said two women had knocked at the victim's door last Wednesday evening, asking for petrol, then assaulted her with an unspecified weapon, searched her home and stole property. The victim, who was injured and extremely shaken, was admitted to Bay of Islands Hospital and discharged late the following day.

She is believed to be staying with family members.