Rotorua death: 4 in court charged with assault and possessing baseball bats and knives

Police at Trigg Ave yesterday. Photo / Ben Fraser

Four people charged following the death of a man at a Trigg Ave house are accused of possessing baseball bats and knives.

A 16-year-old appeared in the Rotorua Youth Court and three others – a 19-year-old woman, 20-year-old man and a 64-year-old man – appeared in the Rotorua District Court.

Judge Louis Bidois agreed to name suppression for the three adults on an interim basis and said it should be revisited next week. The youth has automatic name suppression.

They were jointly charged with assaulting the man who died and possession of offensive weapons.

Judge Bidiois described the charges as “holding charges” until police could investigate further.

The charging documents for all four alleged they assaulted the man on August 20 at Rotorua, a charge that carries a maximum prison sentence of three years’ jail.

It is also alleged they possessed offensive weapons, namely baseball bats and knives, in circumstances that prima facie showed an intention to use them to commit an offence involving bodily injury. That charge also carried a maximum sentence of three years’ jail.

The adults were remanded in custody to reappear on Friday, August 29, and the youth will reappear tomorrow morning.

Judge Bidois granted the Rotorua Daily Post permission to report the outcome of the youth’s appearance – a requirement for Youth Court proceedings under the Oranga Tamariki Act.

Judge Bidois said the youth needed to be remanded to a youth justice facility but he noted there was no bed available. He was to be remanded overnight at the Rotorua Police Custody Centre to try again for a place at a youth justice facility tomorrow.

The 19-year-old woman and 64-year-old man applied for bail through their lawyers, Hinerau Remeka and Andy Hill, respectively. Judge Bidois declined the applications.

Sergeant Jim Harvey told Judge Bidiois police should know more within two to five days about whether more charges would be filed.

In an earlier police statement, Detective Senior Sergeant Mark van Kempen said the four people were charged after police were called to an alleged assault on Trigg Ave about 12.20pm yesterday.

Van Kempen said the man was found in a critical condition and died at the scene.

Police said further charges were likely but they were not seeking anyone else.

This morning, police repeated their plea for any witnesses, including those who might have dash camera footage, to contact police.

Family of the man who died told the Rotorua Daily Post they were not yet up to speaking publicly.

Tributes were flowing online from those who knew him, including some who said he was a talented kapa haka performer and guitarist.

He was a father and was described as having a cheeky smile.

His employer was approached for comment.

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.