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

Rūātoki grandmother Donna Parangi found guilty of baby Isaiah Neil's manslaughter in hot car

By Belinda Feek
Reporter·NZ Herald·
25 Mar, 2019 04:16 AM2 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

Donna Catherine Parangi, 54, has been found guilty of the manslaughter of her grandson Isaiah Neil. Photo / Stephen Parker

Donna Catherine Parangi, 54, has been found guilty of the manslaughter of her grandson Isaiah Neil. Photo / Stephen Parker

A Rūātoki grandmother has been found guilty of her eight-month-old grandson's manslaughter.

The jury of seven men and five women were sent out to begin their deliberations at 11.45am today after Justice Sally Fitzgerald summed up the case.

Donna Catherine Parangi, 54, had denied a charge of manslaughter of Isaiah Neil after he was left in a car while she and her daughter, Lacey Te Whetu, went into their house and smoked synthetic cannabis.

Isaiah was discovered in the car by his father, Shane Neil, who had also been smoking the substance.

Neil and Te Whetu have already admitted charges of manslaughter in relation to their son's death.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

However, Parangi had denied any role in the baby's death.

The crown said Parangi had told police in her formal interview that she had told her daughter to leave Isaiah in the car when they returned so that he could continue sleeping.

From left, Donna Parangi, is currently on trial in the High Court at Hamilton. Her daughter,  Lacey Te Whetu, and her partner Shane Neil have already admitted charges of manslaughter. Photo / File
From left, Donna Parangi, is currently on trial in the High Court at Hamilton. Her daughter, Lacey Te Whetu, and her partner Shane Neil have already admitted charges of manslaughter. Photo / File

The pair, along with Neil, then smoked synthetic cannabis.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Crown's experts gave evidence that the baby died from heatstroke, or hyperthermia. Neil gave evidence about finding the boy lifeless and hot in the car and bringing him inside the house and handing him to his partner about 3.30pm.

She then tried to give it a bottle before putting him to sleep in his cot.

He then didn't wake up when Te Whetu tried to raise him about 6.30pm.

Parangi was remanded on bail until a nominal sentencing date of May 10.

Discover more

New Zealand|crime

Chances to save baby from a hot car missed by five extra adults

13 Mar 10:41 PM
New Zealand|crime

'Come back my baby': Mum's anguish over hot-car death

14 Mar 12:14 AM
New Zealand|crime

Baby who died after three hours in hot car: Grandmother 'lied to police'

14 Mar 04:00 PM
New Zealand

Kids seen playing in car where baby Isaiah died

14 Mar 10:34 PM

Family friend Georgina Turanga, who was standing with Parangi's husband, told the Herald outside court the family was absolutely devastated at the outcome.

She said there were still a lot of unanswered questions that were important to the family.

"At the moment we are just going to look forward to having her home."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'Hot-box' murder: Accused says rival gang bigger issue than patched member's theft

17 Jun 07:00 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

CCTV of rider released after blind, deaf cancer survivor struck in hit-and-run

17 Jun 04:05 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Walk away enriched': How to celebrate Matariki in Rotorua

17 Jun 04:00 AM

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

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'Hot-box' murder: Accused says rival gang bigger issue than patched member's theft

'Hot-box' murder: Accused says rival gang bigger issue than patched member's theft

17 Jun 07:00 AM

Defence counsel says Mark Hohua died after falling on to concrete steps while fleeing.

CCTV of rider released after blind, deaf cancer survivor struck in hit-and-run

CCTV of rider released after blind, deaf cancer survivor struck in hit-and-run

17 Jun 04:05 AM
'Walk away enriched': How to celebrate Matariki in Rotorua

'Walk away enriched': How to celebrate Matariki in Rotorua

17 Jun 04:00 AM
‘I’ve been put up on the shelf’: Temuera Morrison laments Star Wars limbo

‘I’ve been put up on the shelf’: Temuera Morrison laments Star Wars limbo

17 Jun 03:16 AM
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
  • 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