Men charged in unrelated Northland murder cases appear in court, mental health reports ordered

Whangarei High and District Court.

Two men facing unrelated murder charges have been unable to enter pleas due to concerns around their mental health.

Today, both men had their cases called in the High Court at Whangārei, and common themes were heard during their separate hearings.

The men, who both have name suppression, are facing murder charges stemming from incidents alleged to have occurred in Northland over the weekend of March 15.

A 44-year-old was accused of murdering Estene Rapatini in Kaikohe, while a 53-year-old has been accused of murdering Toby Mike Adams at a Norfolk St address in Whangārei.

Each of their lawyers had been unable to take instruction from their clients regarding pleas, and mental health issues were raised in both cases.

Defence lawyer Sharon Green, who represented the 44-year-old, said an initial assessment indicated her client required further investigation into his mental health, and reports would be ordered.

Under the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act, two reports, known as a section 38 report, must be obtained by the court to assess whether a person has a mental disorder and can understand the nature of court proceedings.

Green said she had been made aware that demand for psychiatric services at the moment had doubled, which meant a report may not be available until August.

“We’d certainly hope a report would be available by August 8,” Justice David Johnstone said.

Justice Johnstone said it was likely both reports would be required and scheduled a tentative trial date for August 2027.

For the other man, defence lawyer Matthew Ridgley had similar concerns, however, he had made contact with a private doctor who would be able to have a report ready by the end of May.

His case will be recalled in June when the report is available, and a trial date was set for July 2027.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.