Man pleads guilty to Rotorua kidnapping role in Black Power gang women's drug revenge plot

Bobby Tipiwai when he appeared in the High Court at Rotorua. Photo / Andrew Warner

When a group of Black Power women hatched a plan to kidnap a woman from her bed, beat her and hold her to ransom, Bobby Tipiwai stood by and let it happen.

Now he's admitted his role in the horrific plan, which led to the torture of a woman in Rotorua in October 2020.

The woman was wrongly accused of stealing methamphetamine from the head honcho of a women's chapter of Black Power, known as Black Power Sisters Rotorua Fordblock.

The gang of women captured the victim twice, tortured her and demanded thousands in ransom from her father to keep her alive.

The jailed women Daisy Dixon (left), Rickylee Dixon and Harete Ohlson were members of Black Power Sisters Rotorua Fordblock. Photo / Andrew Warner

Ring leader Rickylee Dixon, 37, was jailed last year for nine years and six months. Two other main offenders - her daughter Daisy Dixon, 19, and associate Harete Ohlson - were also jailed for six years and nine months and six years respectively.

Shaun Te Kiri was jailed for two years and 10 months for his role in the kidnapping, Angela Dehar was given nine months' home detention and Thorne Tucker was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment.

Tipiwai appeared in the High Court at Rotorua on Monday and pleaded guilty to kidnapping and participating in an organised criminal group.

The kidnappings were a means to extort money from the victim's father as a way of recovering a perceived debt after Dixon thought the victim stole methamphetamine from her car - an accusation that turned out to be false.

The victim's ordeal included being bound, gagged, beaten with a tomahawk and smashed over the head with a metal baseball bat. A sharp object was inserted into her lip and her elbow was bent back until it snapped.

She was transported around Rotorua in the back of a truck as she drifted in and out of consciousness and was urinating on herself. She was only saved after her father asked male members of the Black Power gang for help.

The first kidnapping happened on September 12 when the woman was taken from her bed in the middle of the night. She was severely bashed by the women and money was taken from her father.

Tipiwai didn't actively drag the victim from her home but he was there and told the victim she had no choice but to go with them. Tipiwai's associate was pointing an imitation firearm at her, which at the time the victim thought was real.

Tipiwai told the victim to ring her father to bring money to stay alive and then drove her to a Meadowbank Cres house and was there when money transactions were discussed.

When police caught up the offenders, Tipiwai initially denied any knowledge of the kidnapping. He said the victim had got in the car voluntarily and no gun was involved. He said he removed himself after becoming aware of what was happening.

The woman was kidnapped again on October 21. Tipiwai wasn't involved the second time.

Justice Matthew Muir said Tipiwai had been well advised by his lawyer, Tim Braithwaite, to plead guilty to the offences and he would be given credit for his guilty plea despite it coming later.

Justice Muir remanded Tipiwai in custody to reappear for sentencing on September 15. He also gave Tipiwai a warning under the three strikes legislation, which means if he's convicted of another violent criminal offence he would need to serve the full sentence without early parole.

Bobby Tipiwai when he appeared in the High Court at Rotorua. Photo / Andrew Warner