New indictment filed against Urewera four

Supporters of those accused after the Urewera raids staged a peaceful protest outside the Auckland High Court earlier this week. Photo / Natalie Slade

The four Urewera accused were members of a criminal organisation which planned to commit murder, arson, wounding with intent and other crimes, the Crown alleges.

Crown prosecutor Ross Burns filed a new indictment at the High Court in Auckland today.

The indictment names Emily Felicity Bailey, Tame Wairere Iti, Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara and Urs Peter Signer.

The Crown alleges that the four were members of an organised criminal group between November 2006 and October 2007.

It is alleged that the group would have committed violent offences including murder, arson, intentional damage, endangering transport, wounding with intent, injuring with intent, aggravated wounding, discharging a firearm or doing a dangerous act with intent, using a firearm against police, committing a crime with a firearm and kidnapping.

The four are also facing firearms charges.

The Crown has listed the guns which it alleges the group had. They include a sawn-off shotgun, a Lee Enfield .303, a rifle, a sawn-off rifle and four other rifles.

It is also alleged that the group had Molotov cocktails and semi-automatic rifles, including an AK47 style rifle.

All four have pleaded not guilty and their trial by jury is set down for February next year.

Earlier today, the Crown sought to have suppression lifted on court judgements.

One of the judgements, released by the Supreme Court earlier this month, led to charges being dropped against 13 of the accused from the Urewera raids.

Crown prosecutor Ross Burns said he had removed portions of the court judgements which could potentially be prejudicial to the four still facing charges.

He said the judgements should be released "at a time when the matter is still in the public interest".

But lawyers for Emily Felicity Bailey, Tame Wairere Iti, Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara, Urs Peter Signer want the judgement suppressed.

Kemara's lawyer Charl Hirschfeld asked for the hearing to be adjourned so he could talk to other defence lawyers in the case and get instructions from his client.

"The counsel for defence have not properly considered the proposed redactions or suppressions to the various judgements individually, collectively and in relation to the totality of the evidence as it would touch upon each of the remaining four accused."

He said they needed more time.

Mr Burns said some of the judgements were two years old and the Supreme Court hearing was in May.

"They ought to have been prepared for this."

Justice Helen Winkelmann allowed the defence lawyers to meet for an hour to consider the blacked-out portions of the judgements.

However, once back in court, Mr Hirschfeld said there had been insufficient time and he opposed releasing any of the judgements.

Justice Winkelmann said: "you have had ample time."

She issued a decision this afternoon in which she ruled that the judgements should be released to the media with sections blacked out.

Mr Hirschfeld asked for a delay so that he could take the matter to the Court of Appeal.

The suppressions will remain in place until 2pm tomorrow to allow the Court of Appeal to consider the matter.