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
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • 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

Hokianga speaks after manslaughter acquittal

By Jill Nicholas
Rotorua Daily Post·
11 Dec, 2019 05:24 PM3 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

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Taratoa Hori Hokianga in the dock during the trial. Photo / File

Taratoa Hori Hokianga in the dock during the trial. Photo / File

It took less than an hour for a Rotorua jury to acquit local rigger Taratoa Hori Hokianga of the manslaughter of his stepfather Niwhai Bryan in November last year.

Thanking the six men and six women for their jury service Justice Mathew Downs told them he entirely agreed with the trial's result.

He dismissed Hokianga.

The trial began in the High Court at Rotorua on Monday with 39-year-old Hokianga pleading not guilty to the charge.

The Crown claimed he caused his terminally ill stepfather's death by assaulting him, that assault was compression to his neck.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In evidence earlier this week Hokianga admitted he had placed a hand on Bryan's neck for no more than 10 seconds while they wrestled in a garage at his Susan St home where both had been drinking heavily.

He said he'd done this after a very drunk Bryan had put his hand up his shorts "out of the blue" and fondled him intimately.

Whānau who supported both Hokianga and Bryan welcomed the verdict, some with mixed feelings, but all agreed it was just.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Outside the court yesterday a visibly shaking Hokianga, clutching a paper bag holding his personal possessions, said all he wanted to do now was look to the future.

"I am not a violent or angry person," he said.

Discover more

Manslaughter trial over 'family tragedy' begins

09 Dec 02:02 AM
New Zealand|crime

Victim died from neck compression, court hears

09 Dec 11:39 PM

'He was growling' - Manslaughter accused testifies

10 Dec 07:00 PM

Verdict reached in manslaughter trial

10 Dec 10:54 PM

When he put his hand on Niwhai Bryan's throat he did so because he "did it to me" [touched him sexually].

"Losing my stepfather was very upsetting, he meant a lot to me, I respected him, I didn't want to bury him."

Asked how he'd be celebrating his acquittal, he said he'd be visiting his brothers "but I won't be touching alcohol that's for sure".

Hugging her son and talking through her tears, Hokianga's mother Bernadene Takuta said she was simply relieved the whole affair was now behind her.

"I loved my husband, I also love my son."

She said the last year had been very emotional for her and her whānau.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"If I had not been inside my own rohe [territory] Tūhoe, I don't think I would have got through this but I have had the support of my whānau, my iwi, my work colleagues."

She said she hadn't been expecting the not guilty verdict.

"I was fearing the worst, I am so relieved I can only greet it with tears."

She said she had no idea her husband had touched her son inappropriately until he gave evidence about it happening.

"I was not shocked but surprised my husband would do that to the man he regarded as his son, although I knew he had behaved that way [sexually inappropriately] previously."

Takuta talked about her job as a practice nurse with Tūhoe Uru Taumataua, based in Tāneatua, near Whakatāne.

"On Monday I got a call asking me to come back to work because White Island had blown up, they said they needed all the help they could get. Tragic as the eruption is I had to say 'no' because I was here at court giving evidence and supporting my son."

She said she would be spending time with her moko (grandchildren) to mark her son's acquittal before returning to work on Monday "a very relieved woman".

Niwhai Bryan's sister, Ani Sharland, said she had mixed feelings about the verdict which had brought the family some closure "but we still have to face knowing he is dead."

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

NZ Super Fund-backed Kaingaroa Timberlands expands with Waikato land purchase

01 Jul 05:43 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

01 Jul 03:30 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Compliance concern: Growers oppose proposed geothermal water regulations

01 Jul 12:00 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

NZ Super Fund-backed Kaingaroa Timberlands expands with Waikato land purchase

NZ Super Fund-backed Kaingaroa Timberlands expands with Waikato land purchase

01 Jul 05:43 AM

Kaingaroa Timberlands has bought 9200ha of forestry land in South Waikato.

Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

01 Jul 03:30 AM
Compliance concern: Growers oppose proposed geothermal water regulations

Compliance concern: Growers oppose proposed geothermal water regulations

01 Jul 12:00 AM
Fresh weather warnings issued for BoP

Fresh weather warnings issued for BoP

30 Jun 11:29 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

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
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP