Kelly Makiha: Rotorua Courthouse will not be the same without Harry Edward

Rotorua lawyer Harry Edward in 2007. Photo / Stephen Parker

COMMENT:

"Harry Edward to courtroom two please, Harry Edward to courtroom two."

Edward's client is waiting for him in the dock and the registrar in the Rotorua District Court is trying to alert his lawyer, who is somewhere in the courthouse, that his presence is required.

There's an awkward pause in courtroom two as everyone waits.

Then from the back of the courtroom, the double doors burst open and in walks Edward who dramatically announces, "I appear your honour".

The Rotorua courthouse flag at half mast today. Photo / Ben Fraser

The late Judge James Weir looks up from his glasses with a rare smirk and hits the nail on the head.

"Yes, Mr Edward, once seen, never forgotten."

Never a truer word has been spoken about Edward.

With a cheeky wit, a brilliant mind and an ability to communicate with anyone, he was a master of the courtroom.

The legal fraternity will never know another like Edward and his sudden death following a short illness has come as a shock to everyone who knew and loved him.

Edward has been the go-to lawyer for local criminals for decades and he's represented at many of the big cases, from the high-profile home invasion murder of Reporoa woman Beverly Bouma to the horrific deaths of Mamaku uncle and nephew Raymond and James Fleet.

A character of the courtroom, his tongue-in-cheek nature often had those in his presence in hysterics.

Harry Edward at the 2014 Bay of Plenty Sports Awards with Julia Edward and Sue Edward. Photo / File

But there was more to him than just his sharp legal brain. A staunch old boy of Rotorua Boys' High School, he could talk for hours about rugby, his adored children and his love of music.

One of the most special moments from the esteemed Lakeside concerts in Rotorua was in 2016 when he teamed up with his brothers, Ian, Stewart and David, to perform Ka Waiata. It was a crowd highlight and Edward was super-proud of their performance.

As the city mourns the loss of one of its greatest personalities, there will now always be something missing from the Rotorua courthouse.

Reluctantly, we say: Mr Edward, you may be excused.