Man due in court today after Treaty House attack

A 26-year-old man is to appear in court today after a car was used to damage Northland's historic Treaty House.

Police, who had no idea of the motive for the attack, arrested the Northland man on the Treaty Grounds when the car became stuck on the concrete base of a water pump it ran over.

The attack began around 2am yesterday, when the car was driven through the gates by the waka shelter and on to a track leading up to the Treaty Grounds' flagpole, Treaty House and Whare Runanga.

Security staff called police when they saw the car doing wheelies on the grounds.

The car dislodged a 3.5m colonial wooden pillar at one end and smashed a metal fencepost in front of Treaty House.

A seat by the house was damaged and a vegetable garden at the rear of the house was run over.

No structural damage was caused to either the Treaty House or the Whare Runanga.

The only evidence of trouble after staff and police had finished their work yesterday morning were some tyre tracks on the grassy grounds and flattened beans in a vegetable garden.

"The items weren't historic and a few non-historic vegetables got bowled over," Waitangi National Trust communications adviser Michael Hooper said.

Senior Constable Wayne Mills of Paihia said the arrested man, who gave addresses in Moerewa and Auckland, had been breath-tested and was not drunk.

The man is to appear in Kaikohe District Court charged with reckless driving, intentional damage, aggravated assault, injuring with intent, and threatening to kill a policeman and a trust worker.

He will also face a charge based on the Historic Places Trust bill for damage done to the Treaty House.

Police are expected to seek to have the man remanded in custody.

Mr Mills said the Paihia officer who arrested the man in the Treaty Grounds, Constable Mark Caswell, was first on the scene and had been head-butted and bitten.

An attempt was also made to gouge out the constable's eyes. He was given medical treatment for bruises and scratches and is expected back at work in a few days.

Most of the visitors touring the Treaty Grounds yesterday were unaware of the attack.

Hamilton visitors Mark and Manaaki Taukiri, with children Dallas, Hika, Manaaki and Pounamu, hadn't heard what had happened.

"It's sad because this is a place for all of us," Mr Taukiri said.

Holidaying Londoners John and Helen Bennett said staff had apologised to people coming in for the state of the gardens.

"But we haven't noticed anything," Mr Bennett said. "It's a shame if it happened."

Mr Hooper said the trust was in the business of restoration and the damaged Treaty House pillar had been taken away for repair by a local carpenter.