Couple acquitted on all but two abuse charges against mentally impaired man

There have been acquittals on all but two of the 25 charges an Eastern Bay of Plenty couple faced alleging brutal ill treatment of a mentally impaired man.

After more than five hours of deliberations today a jury in the High Court at Rotorua found both Lenith Moeke, 36, and Gene Karauria, 29, guilty of the ill-treatment of a vulnerable adult.

Moeke was also found guilty of assaulting the 32-year-old with the intention of injuring him. The Crown claimed this occurred when the man, who a psychologist described as having the mental age of a child, was repeatedly punched and pushed while mowing the lawn at the home he shared with the couple.

The remaining charges on which the jury acquitted included three of kidnapping, intentional wounding, assault with a weapon and intentional injury.

The bulk were laid against Moeke or the pair jointly but Karauria faced, and was acquitted of, individual charges of assault with a tomahawk, assault with a whitebait pole and another pole, stabbing the man with a knife and assaulting him by hitting and/or pushing him.

Moeke was also found not guilty of assaulting a child by using a broom as a weapon. At the start of the trial he admitted an assault charge relating to the same youngster.

Justice Rebecca Edwards convicted the pair on the charges they were found guilty of and remanded them for sentencing on October 10.

She released Moeke on electronically monitored bail and Karauria on bail, telling them this was not an indication of any sentence they would receive.

The verdicts were the culmination of a three-week trial.

While they were delivered the couple held hands and as the not guilty verdicts were pronounced Moeke wiped away tears as Karauria rested her head on his shoulder.
- AAP