NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Wellington homicide: Three women deny involvement in Rau Tongia murder

By Jack Crossland & Melissa Nightingale
NZ Herald·
11 Feb, 2021 08:43 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Rau Tongia was killed late last year at a property in Karori, Wellington. Photo / Supplied

Rau Tongia was killed late last year at a property in Karori, Wellington. Photo / Supplied

Three women have denied any part in the murder of Wellington man Rau Tongia.

The women appeared in the High Court at Wellington this morning, having earlier been charged with his murder in varying degrees.

Two of the women, Shayde Weston, 24, and Phoenix Colvin, 20, can now be named. The third woman, a 35-year-old, has interim name suppression until the next appearance.

Tongia, 33, was found dead in a Karori home on December 20, and the investigation into his death is continuing.

As of this morning, five people have been arrested and charged in relation to Tongia's murder, with the fifth person, a 27-year-old woman, due to have her first appearance in the Wellington District Court later today.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She is charged with wounding Tongia with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and being party to his murder.

A 19-year-old man was charged with being an accessory to murder three days ago.

Two of the women appearing in the High Court today were earlier charged with murdering Tongia - Weston and the 35-year-old. Weston was also charged with assaulting Tongia with a knife earlier in the night.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Colvin was charged with being an accessory after the fact to the murder.

At her first appearance in January, she grinned and mouthed words to her supporters as she stood in the dock at the Wellington District Court on January 21.

Court documents allege she "actively suppressed evidence" by hiding a firearm at an associate's property to help someone avoid conviction.

Police revealed in January they had found a firearm during a search in Wilton that they believed was linked to Tongia's death.

Discover more

New Zealand|politics

Review finds Wellington's $6.4b transport plan at risk of failing

11 Feb 10:18 PM
Kahu

'No one wants to give her a chance': The straight-A student turned away from 40 jobs

13 Feb 04:00 PM
Kahu

Six60 fans in for a bilingual first at Sky Stadium concert

12 Feb 03:00 AM
New Zealand

Sprinkler ban for Wellington region from midnight Friday

12 Feb 12:14 AM

It is being forensically analysed.

Police said they are also looking into whether the weapon is linked to other offending across the district.

In late January, Wellington field crime manager Detective Inspector Darrell Harpur foreshadowed that more arrests would be coming after police charged the 24-year-old woman.

"This is the third arrest we have made in relation to the death of Mr Tongia, and while the primary offenders have now been charged, I am confident it won't be the last," he said.

Last month, police extended their sympathies to Tongia's loved ones.

"I want to acknowledge the investigation team who worked tirelessly on this very complex case, and commend them on their professionalism and dedication to holding those involved to account. They worked long hours and took valuable time away from family throughout the holiday period to ensure justice was done for Rau Tongia."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The public gallery in the High Court at Wellington was packed with people this morning, with yelling breaking out between two separate groups at the end of the hearing.

Some called Weston a "mongrel" as she was led from the court, while others waved to Colvin, who appeared by audio visual link.

The other woman also appeared by audio visual link.

Their lawyers entered not guilty pleas on their behalf, and they were remanded in custody.

Colvin has also made a bail application, which Justice Francis Cooke will make a decision on later today.

A trial date has been set for May next year, with the trial set down to take six weeks.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The 27-year-old charged who appeared in the Wellington District Court this morning was remanded without plea to appear in court again in March.

She was granted interim name suppression.

Her charging document states she was party to the murder of Tongia by providing the vehicle used for the offence.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'I don't believe it': Store owner's sleepless night after $15m Lotto win

21 Jun 08:57 PM
New Zealand

Fight breaks out at Auckland night market

Kahu

Family of man who died after incident with police push for officer body cameras

21 Jun 06:04 PM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'I don't believe it': Store owner's sleepless night after $15m Lotto win

'I don't believe it': Store owner's sleepless night after $15m Lotto win

21 Jun 08:57 PM

Find out where the winning tickets were sold and last night's numbers.

Fight breaks out at Auckland night market

Fight breaks out at Auckland night market

Family of man who died after incident with police push for officer body cameras

Family of man who died after incident with police push for officer body cameras

21 Jun 06:04 PM
Vege tips: Winter, time for onions and strawberries

Vege tips: Winter, time for onions and strawberries

21 Jun 05:00 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP