Stolen body buried: Widow wants him back

By ALISON BROWN and STAFF REPORTER

James Takamore was buried on a hillside beside his father.
But his grieving widow vows he will not remain there.
Mr Takamore's burial yesterday in Kutarere, in the Eastern Bay of Plenty was in accordance with Maori protocol.
However, it went against a court order sought by his Christchurch widow Denise Clarke, that could have stopped the burial. Ms Clarke, Mr Takamore's partner of 25 years, is angry Opotiki police did not enforce the order.
However, police say they did not have enough staff to go on to the marae at Kutarere to remove the body.
They say acting on the court order would have fuelled what was an already volatile situation.
The tug of war over Mr Takamore's body is expected to continue this week, with Ms Clarke vowing to "keep fighting" until he is returned to Christchurch.
The Taneatua-born man died of an aneurism on Friday.
Ms Clarke made arrangements to farewell and bury him in Christchurch where they and their two children had lived for nearly two decades.
But a dispute erupted between Ms Clarke and the Takamore family from Kutarere, south of Opotiki, about where the body would be buried.
On Sunday Mr Takamore's mother, brother and sister, along with other friends and family members, removed the body from Te Whare Roimata Marae in Christchurch and drove it to Kutarere in a rental van.
Speaking at yesterday's tangi, Mr Takamore's brother Edward Takamore, told the Daily Post the burial place embraced Maori custom.
"It is spiritual and it is Maori," he said.
"If you look back in the books this is how it has been done forever. The body is taken home and lies with the father or the grandfather." About 100 people attended the tangi at Kutarere Marae where tensions ran high. Family members were aware of the court order and they expected police.
However, the tangi continued uninterrupted. Mr Takamore's coffin was carried from the marae, across the road and up to the urupa. His body was interred next to his father.
Acting Eastern Bay of Plenty area commander Inspector Greg Standen said Opotiki police received a court order by fax instructing them to seize Mr Takamore's body at 12.15pm.
Details were omitted, however, about the location of the body or the marae where he would be buried.
Police spent 45 minutes phoning marae to find out where the tangi would be held.
Mr Standen said a decision not to enforce the court order was made for "logistical" reasons.
"We had four staff, including the senior sergeant, to deploy but based on the numbers of mourners and their emotions, it was not advisable to attempt to enforce the order."
This has angered Ms Clarke, who is now seeking legal advice.
"What is the point of having a court order if they're not acted on." She said details about the body's exact location could not be provided as it was taken without her consent and no one knew where he would be buried.
"I'm just not going to give up," she said. "I'm going to go as far as I can to get him home."
At 5pm she was one of 300 people who attended a memorial service at Christchurch's Linwood College where Mr Takamore worked as a caretaker.
"We haven't said our goodbyes yet but he would have loved it."
Maori protocol experts say disputes over where a person should be buried were regarded by some as an "honour".