Trial over Whakatane gang shootout begins in High Court

A trial over a shooting at a Mongrel Mob funeral has begun. Photo/File

The sequel to an armed confrontation between Black Power and Mongrel Mob members during which seven Whakatane police offices were shot at is now in the hands of a jury.

On trial in the High Court at Rotorua are Benjamin Biddle, Stallone Harawira, Whitu Taipeti, Codie Taitapuni, Te Reneti Tarau and Taumata Tawhai.

With the exception of Taipeti, all are facing charges of rioting and participating in an organised criminal group.

All defendants face charges of unlawful possessing a firearm, using a rifle or shot gun against law enforcement officers and discharging a firearm at Mongrel Mob members.

Each denied the charges levelled against them when the trial began this afternoon. After the jury panel of seven women and five men was sworn in Justice Graham Lang told them the trial followed a series of incidents between Black Power and Mongrel Mob members in Whakatane on January 17 last year.

He said they may have read or heard about the confrontations which came during a funeral procession, but ordered them to put any of that prior knowledge out of their minds and approach their task of reaching verdicts entirely on the evidence they heard in the courtroom.

He told the jury although the trial was scheduled to take six weeks he hoped it would be shorter.

The Crown indicated it would be calling more than 80 witnesses.

The trial proper will commence tomorrow morning when the Crown will open its case and the defendants' lawyers make opening statements of their behalf.