Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

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 / Rotorua Daily Post

Parangi manslaughter trial: Crown closes case

AAP
19 May, 2017 02:54 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

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

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Donna Catherine Parangi.

Donna Catherine Parangi.

The Crown has closed its case against a Ruatoki woman whose infant grandson died after being left in a hot car.

Donna Catherine Parangi, 48, has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Isaiah Te Rangi on November 2, 2015, by failing to provide him with the necessaries of life and failing to take reasonable steps to protect him.

Isaiah's parents Lacey Te Whetu and Shane Neil have pleaded guilty to his manslaughter.

Parangi was not in the High Court at Rotorua today to hear medical evidence against her.

Justice Graham Lang excused her after defence lawyers told him she didn't want to be present while it was given.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In a video interview played to the jury, Parangi claimed she'd left the infant asleep in the family station wagon on a hot day with the windows down, the doors and sunroof open.

The Crown claims he was there at least three hours. Evidence has also been given that at least one of the car's electric windows couldn't be operated.

Waikato Hospital paediatrician Dr John Newman told the jury if Isaiah wasn't already dead when he was taken from the family's boiling hot station wagon, he would have been in severe trouble and in urgent need of hospital treatment.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Based on Ruatoki's temperature of 19C on the day Isaiah died, Dr Newman said the temperature inside the vehicle would have risen rapidly, likely reaching 45C within 45 minutes. He said this would have been the case even if the windows and sunroof were slightly open.

Testifying from Melbourne the pathologist who conducted the autopsy on Isaiah's body confirmed his death was heat-related but she was unable to determine when he died.

Dr Joanna Glengarry described finding "injuries of concern", listing these as bruises and abrasions on the infant's stomach, an ear and his right arm, saying indications were the latter two could have been bite marks.

She dismissed the possibility Isaiah could have caused the ear injury himself as Parangi claimed in her police interview. Questioned by defence lawyer Julie-Anne Kincaide, she was unable to say whether Isaiah had been alive or critically ill when he was taken from the car into the house.

Dr Glengarry disagreed with a suggestion his injuries were subtle.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"They were more than subtle," she said.

The trial resumes at 8.15am on Monday, timed so a London-based pathologist can give evidence by video link for the defence.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Torrential rain, 140km/h winds, 8m waves: Cyclone Vaianu set to hit North Island

10 Apr 08:59 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Emergency grab bag: Essentials you need before Cyclone Vaianu hits

10 Apr 06:49 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

‘Most horrific content I have ever viewed’: The case that made a detective quit

10 Apr 06:00 PM

Sponsored

Sponsored: The deposit myth putting Kiwis off building

24 Mar 04:35 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Torrential rain, 140km/h winds, 8m waves: Cyclone Vaianu set to hit North Island
Rotorua Daily Post

Torrential rain, 140km/h winds, 8m waves: Cyclone Vaianu set to hit North Island

The 'multi-hazard, potentially life-threatening event' is set to make landfall on Sunday.

10 Apr 08:59 PM
Emergency grab bag: Essentials you need before Cyclone Vaianu hits
Rotorua Daily Post

Emergency grab bag: Essentials you need before Cyclone Vaianu hits

10 Apr 06:49 PM
‘Most horrific content I have ever viewed’: The case that made a detective quit
Rotorua Daily Post

‘Most horrific content I have ever viewed’: The case that made a detective quit

10 Apr 06:00 PM


Sponsored: The deposit myth putting Kiwis off building
Sponsored

Sponsored: The deposit myth putting Kiwis off building

24 Mar 04:35 PM
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
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • 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
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP