Man accused of Kawerau police shootings goes to trial

Police at a cordon on Onepu Springs Road near Kawerau in march. Photo: File

The man accused of attempting to murder four police officers during an alleged two-day siege near Kawerau is refusing to recognise the jursidiction of the court.

Accused gunman Rhys Warren, who appeared in the High Court at Tauranga today, faced four charges of attempted murder and five of using a firearm against a law enforcement officer.

Rhys Richard Ngahiwi Warren appeared in the Whakatane District Court in March. Photo/file

The murder charges related to the wounding of Sergeant Logan Marsh, Constables Regan Mauheni, Andrew Flinn and Damian White, at Onepu, near Kawerau, in March.

A fifth officer was also allegedly shot at but uninjured.

Warren, who appeared by audio-visual link told Justice Tim Brewer that he did not recognise his authority or the court's jurisdiction.

Nor did he recognise the authority of his court-appointed lawyer Ron Mansfield, he said.

Justice Brewer further remanded Warren in custody to next appear at his trial which is set to begin in the Hamilton High Court on March 6 next year.