Manhunt: Seventh person arrested in central North Island

Armed police searching a property in Ohakune. Photo / Alan Gibson

A seventh person has been arrested over yesterday's manhunt in the central North Island.

Police this afternoon said a 24-year-old man was arrested at an Ohakune address just after midday today.

He has been charged with unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle and being a party to using a firearm against police.

He is due to appear in the Whanganui District Court tomorrow.

This afternoon, Dolphy Kohu and five others charged in relation to the manhunt appeared in the same court.

Kohu Dolphy was remanded in custody until September 9. Photo / Facebook

Kohu, 23, appeared in a blue boiler suit and was remanded in custody until September 9.

He addressed supporters in the public gallery, one of whom asked: "What happened?"
Kohu's lawyer Debbie Goodlet did not request name suppression.

She argued against media applications to take photos or video of her client, but Judge David Cameron allowed photos to be taken.

Kohu faces four charges, including the attempted murder of a police sergeant yesterday morning.

He also faces a charge of dishonestly and without claim taking a police car.

He faces a third charge of taking a Ford Telstar and a fourth of knowingly using a firearm against a member of the police.

The defendants were brought to the dock one by one.

Name suppression was also declined for Hemi Kohu, 17, Melissa Vaka, 17, Hereina Paul, 22 and Carlos Bushell, 28.

Bushell appeared in a black vest and kept his head down. He is charged with knowingly helping Dolphy Kohu avoid arrest.

Hemi Kohu, 17, is charged with dishonestly getting into the stolen Telstar and knowingly using a firearm against police.

A sixth defendant, Aroha Kohu, 39, is also charged with dishonestly getting into the Ford Telstar. She was bailed to an Ohakune address.

Paul, 22, was bailed to reappear in Whanganui High Court on September 9.

"You're fortunate to be granted bail," Judge Cameron told her.

Members of the public gallery kept quiet for most of the hearing.

Earlier, a man appealed to the public to pronounce Dolphy Kohu's name correctly.

He made his comments at the court this morning, asking people to stop "bastardising"
the family name Kohu and saying it should be pronounced "Core-who."

As he left the court he said he would he would get his lawyers onto people who continued mispronouncing the name.

He urged those reporting the case to learn Te Reo, as mispronunciation of surnames could be insulting to families.