Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

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 / Whanganui Chronicle

Partner pleaded with victim

By Melissa Nightingale
Whanganui Chronicle·
14 Apr, 2016 08:11 PM3 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

Raeleen Rameka

Raeleen Rameka

Paul Kumeroa's partner had warned him not to wear red in Castlecliff, "but he didn't listen".

It was a red hoodie, given to Ms Topia years ago by a family member when she was cold, that made Mr Kumeroa the target of angry Black Power associates.

The High Court at Whanganui heard this week how Ms Topia was nearby when Mr Kumeroa was murdered in Cross St on the night of September 23, 2008.

In a retrial that began on Monday, the jury of 11 and Justice Rebecca Ellis have heard how defendant Raeleen Matewai Noyle Rameka was one of four people in a car travelling through Castlecliff that night.

The group had a run-in with Mongrel Mob associates earlier that day.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Crown says there were two more incidents that day where the group initiated conflicts with people they thought were "dog shits", which is Black Power slang for those connected to the Mongrel Mob.

When the group saw Mr Kumeroa walking home along Cross St in red, the Mongrel Mob colour, two of them attacked him, leaving him with fatal injuries.

Clarke McCallum and Daniel Craig Rippon were convicted of his murder, while the driver of the car, Jamie Ahsin, was convicted of manslaughter.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rameka faces a manslaughter charge. Crown prosecutor Lance Rowe accepted Rameka took no part in the attack, but said she shared a "common intention" with the others.

But defence lawyer Elizabeth Hall says she did not share this common intention, and "being in the car isn't enough to be guilty in this case".

She and Mr Rowe will give their closing addresses to the jury this morning, and Justice Ellis will sum up the case either today or Monday morning.

The jury heard on Tuesday how Mr Kumeroa had been arguing with Ms Topia moments before the attack.

Reading Ms Topia's evidence to the jury, Mr Rowe said the pair had been walking home, arguing.

Ms Topia walked away from Mr Kumeroa and waited on a corner for a few minutes before heading back to where she'd left him.

But she heard shouting, and didn't want to be around if Mr Kumeroa "lashed out at someone".

"I could see a figure, all dark clothing, but not for long ... it wasn't Paul."

Ms Topia saw a car parked nearby but couldn't see Mr Kumeroa.

"When I looked around the corner it was all quiet, which made me scared," she said in her statement.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She left, and went home.

About an hour later, police called her to say Mr Kumeroa was in the hospital.

"I would tell him not to wear the red jersey, but he wouldn't listen ... living in Castlecliff, it often causes friction if a certain colour is worn in an area," Ms Topia said.

After the attack, witnesses say the red jersey was nowhere to be seen.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Ngāti Ruanui files urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim over mining project

02 Jul 10:42 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Why Whanganui is in for a warmer than normal winter

02 Jul 09:14 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

How a white picket fence symbolises a significant Whanganui family

02 Jul 06:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Ngāti Ruanui files urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim over mining project

Ngāti Ruanui files urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim over mining project

02 Jul 10:42 PM

The claim alleges breaches of Treaty principles in fast-track approvals process.

Why Whanganui is in for a warmer than normal winter

Why Whanganui is in for a warmer than normal winter

02 Jul 09:14 PM
How a white picket fence symbolises a significant Whanganui family

How a white picket fence symbolises a significant Whanganui family

02 Jul 06:00 PM
Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title

Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title

02 Jul 06:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

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
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP