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Home / New Zealand

Rotorua woman stabs, detains male fashion designer Kharl WiRepa for P

Samantha Olley
By Samantha Olley
Rotorua Daily Post·
18 Dec, 2018 11:00 PM3 mins to read

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Successful New Zealand fashion designer, Kharl WiRepa from Rotorua opens up about his life before and after his addiction to meth. Made with funding from NZ on Air

A Rotorua woman has pleaded guilty to stabbing and detaining a well-known fashion designer last month while demanding drugs and money.

In the Rotorua District Court on MondayMoana Ngahoro Dixon, 38, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and unlawfully detaining Kharl WiRepa.

WiRepa has showcased his glamorous evening wear in several fashion shows, using models from Rotorua to uplift talented youth.

Moana Ngahoro Dixon, 38  pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and unlawfully detaining Kharl WiRepa.
Moana Ngahoro Dixon, 38 pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and unlawfully detaining Kharl WiRepa.

He was the only New Zealand designer to feature in the September 2017 edition of British Vogue, which was the magazine's biggest issue to date, at that time.

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WiRepa was ranked 17th in the "25 most influential Kiwis 25 and under" list on New Zealand entertainment and celebrity news website Scout in 2015.

He is also the organiser of the Miss Rotorua pageants.

A police summary of facts provided to the Rotorua Daily Post states that on November 8, between 9pm and 11pm, WiRepa was allegedly invited into a house in Tania Cres, Western Heights, Rotorua to look at artwork and told by a man that "the good stuff" was in a bedroom.

Dixon was hiding under the covers of a bed, and when WiRepa entered, she revealed herself, holding a steak knife approximately 15cm long.

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WiRepa was forced to sit on a recliner chair and tied to it with an electric cable.

Dixon's two associates allegedly entered carrying weapons too, and they demanded drugs and cash from WiRepa.

Dixon told him "I'm the queen of the blacks, we do this all the time and we love it".

"I will cut your eyes out and I can have you killed," she said.

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WiRepa was allegedly punched in the face six times, "while they were asking about where his drugs were and where he got his methamphetamine from".

He was also allegedly hit in the face with a plastic storage container, struck with the electric cable and kicked.

Police say WiRepa's three captors took turns going out to his car and looking through it.

Two captors remained with him at all times.

One of the three returned carrying WiRepa's handbag and took his phone from it.

One of them also returned with WiRepa's faux fur coat "and an iPhone box which contained a small amount of methamphetamine and cannabis".

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WiRepa was allegedly assaulted further by the group and filmed on a phone.

He was told the video would be posted online if he did not provide more drugs.

He drew a map for the trio which was purportedly for a drug house.

The three had been making threats to stab the WiRepa, and Dixon plunged the steak knife into WiRepa's left thigh.

"The knife penetrated deeply causing immediate and copious bleeding."

The trio allegedly continued to laugh and film the ordeal.

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Dixon kept demanding drugs and kicked WiRepa where she had stabbed him causing extreme pain, before leaving the address.

WiRepa's stab wound was later treated at Rotorua Hospital.

Fashion designer Kharl WiRepa in Rotorua in 2016. Photo / File
Fashion designer Kharl WiRepa in Rotorua in 2016. Photo / File

Dixon appeared from prison custody via an audio-visual link yesterday afternoon.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Coleman began to read the summary of facts but Dixon interrupted after about 30 seconds, when her name was mentioned.

"F**k that's bullshit," she said.

Judge Greg Hollister-Jones then told Dixon she could not comment until the complete summary had been read, but Sergeant Coleman only got through one sentence before Dixon responded: "It's all sh*t".

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Judge Hollister-Jones then cut the AVL link due to "abusive conduct".

Defence counsel Moana Dorset then had to speak for her client, and another appearance date was set for January 7, 2019.

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