Dogs that fatally mauled Neville Thomson also allegedly turned on owner Abel Wira
'[I] had to wind the window up so they didn't jump in the window 'cause they were bailing up the truck.'
Knopp said the dogs were often in the caravan fighting with each other and he noticed the door was only secured by a log.
'It wasn't that secure, I don't think it was, just leaning up against it, dogs could probably push it open,' Knopp said.
Knopp also recalled a story Wira had allegedly told of his own dangerous encounter with the dogs.
'One time he told me his own dogs attacked him. He was saying it was on the beach and he had to go in the water to try and drown them to get them off him.'
The jury heard on Monday that Wira had been staying at Thomson's Puketawa Rd property in Panguru in a caravan with his dogs.
At least six of the dogs were adults and the rest were at varying stages of puppy life.
On August 4, 2022, Wira went out to retrieve a car he had crashed weeks beforehand and then went to Broadwood to pick up items, including dog food.
Thomson was home alone and on the phone to his partner when the pack of dogs, which were allegedly barricaded in the caravan, got out and mauled him to death.
Wira arrived home to discover Thomson's body, which he dragged into the house and covered with a blanket before sending a friend a Facebook message.
'I need help bro please my dogs have attacked my bro and hes gone please bro,' he said.
He then locked the dogs in a truck, closed the gate and drove Thomson's truck an hour away to Ahipara, where he was able to wave down police officers.
Neville Thomson lived in the remote area of Panguru overlooking the Hokianga harbour.
Emergency services arrived on the scene more than three hours after the incident and pronounced Thomson dead.
Thomson's partner Shirley Orchard gave evidence about their 17-year relationship, which was mostly long-distance.
Orchard lived in Auckland and would speak to Thomson on the phone every morning when he had his morning coffee.
She said on that morning, about 10am, he was chatting about his garden and she could hear that he was outside.
'Get the f*** out'
With her knowledge of the property, she believes Thomson was walking along the gravel towards the back of the house and the dogs, which were locked in the caravan, caught sight of him.
'They started off barking, as soon as he walked into sight of the caravan, they thought he was a stranger because he had shaved off his beard,' Orchard said in evidence.
'The barking all started up and got louder and that was when I heard him shout out 'get out, get the f*** out' then the noise escalated from the dogs and I never heard not another sound out of him.'
Connor Taylor (left) and Arthur Fairley (right) are the defence lawyers for Abel Wira. Photo / NZME
During cross-examination, defence lawyer Connor Taylor suggested to Orchard that Thomson himself may have released the dogs from the caravan.
'I'm not a stupid woman, as soon as he walked into sight of those dogs they busted out of the caravan and attacked him,' Orchard responded.
'You're just guessing, aren't you?' Connor questioned.
'The evidence is he was attacked by dogs, whether he was by the fish pond or I'm making it all up the fact was, he was out in the garden and he was hurt by dogs,' Orchard said.
Orchard then gave evidence she spent the next hour trying to contact Thomson and asked a neighbour, Lucy Burkhardt, to check on his house.
When Burkhardt texted her saying the gate was closed, Thomson felt a slight relief as it was his normal habit to close the gate if he had left the property.
'That's a good sign, he's out and not lying in a pool of blood maybe he's in Rawene getting stitched up,' she texted back to Burkhardt.
Neville Thomson was known as an animal lover who had two dogs of his own. Photo / Supplied
Orchard assumed Thomson was okay but made a call to 111 as a safety check.
The call was played to the jury.
'The dogs are going off for quite a while and I couldn't hear him then the dogs have settled down.
'Those dogs have actually attacked me and I know they haven't been fed for two days. I thought 'my God have they attacked him?' I've got no way of knowing,' Orchard told the operator.
When asked what kind of dogs they were, Orchard responded 'mongrels'.
Burkhart gave evidence the dogs had mauled her pig's ears on one occasion.
The trial continues before Justice Andrew Becroft.
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
7 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Former Dilworth housemaster denied parole again
Warning: This story discusses sexual assault and may be distressing for some readers. Former Dilworth housemaster Ian Wilson, who is in jail for sexually abusing several students, has been grilled on whether there are other victims he has yet to disclose. "Not to my knowledge. I would be very surprised if any other people come forward," Wilson told the Parole Board today. But panel convenor Judge Arthur Tompkins rejected Wilson's response, stating it was "not an answer". "What does that mean - 'not to your knowledge'?" he asked. Wilson repeated his response, claiming he was not aware of anyone else whom he had sexually abused, who had not already laid a complaint against him. Judge Tompkins reminded Wilson that previously, he had only admitted his offending in sequential stages, when confronted with credible accounts by victims as they spoke up. Wilson claimed he had repressed memories of his previous actions. He said he "didn't dwell" on the abuse he inflicted, and it was only on hearing accounts from his victims that he thought, "yes, there's truth to that". "I had put them [memories] away, I tried to move on." The panel pressed him on whether it was a possibility that Wilson had repressed memories of there being further victims. He said there was always that possibility, but repeated he would be "very surprised". One of Wilson's supporters spoke to the board about how Wilson had been reading the Bible and praying to God to reveal any abuse that he may be holding back. "And nothing has been revealed," said the man, who cannot be named. Wilson, who worked at Dilworth from February 1971 until his resignation in December 1996, was arrested in 2020 as part of Operation Beverly, a long-running investigation into historical sexual abuse by several staff at the Auckland-based boys-only boarding school. He was jailed in March 2021 for three years and seven months for indecently assaulting five students between 1975 and 1992 - some of them more than once and over several years. Wilson was still in jail when he had one year and 11 months added to his sentence in August last year after belatedly admitting to having abused five others. At today's hearing, Wilson was denied parole for the sixth time, leaving him to serve most, if not all, of his prison sentence. The board determined he remained an undue risk and scheduled his next hearing for July 2026. His statutory release date is September 22 in that year. If granted parole in July, he would be released with parole conditions. However, if he were again declined, he would serve the remaining two months of his sentence and then be served with release conditions. The outcome was welcomed by one of Wilson's victims, Neil Harding, who has fought to keep the former housemaster behind bars for the duration of his sentence. "It's really, really good. I'm really comfortable with that. I'm grateful to the Parole Board that they listened," Harding told NZME. Before the hearing, Harding made submissions to the board, imploring it to ask Wilson if there were other victims. He said he believed there were at least two other people who had yet to come forward. "Of course, if he were truly remorseful, he would tell the truth," Harding said. In his submissions, Harding pointed out that Wilson was part of the school's senior management and claimed Wilson played a significant role in covering up abuse by other parties, as well as his own offending. "The Royal Commission into Abuse in Care named Dilworth School first in institutions that had the highest prevalence of sexual abuse in New Zealand between 1950-1999. "Ian Wilson was responsible, along with others, for the cover-up of sexual abuse of hundreds of young boys." He said Wilson was "sadistic and inhumane" towards students and described him as "a monster". More than 40 former pupils have taken their own lives after the decades of abuse that went on at the school, Harding submitted. "The impact of [Wilson's] abuse, and the role he played, is incalculable." Wilson has denied knowing others were sexually abusing students. "He most definitely knew other paedophiles were active at Dilworth," Harding told the board. He said Wilson continued to lie, including when he claimed his offending ended, and when asked about further victims. Harding rejected Wilson's claims that he had reformed and was remorseful. "If you believe that he has been rehabilitated, then he has again duped and conned the system." At the hearing, Wilson's lawyer submitted that Wilson was an eligible candidate for parole, given that he had a support network that held him accountable, and had approved interim accommodation. Wilson's ill-health, proposed special conditions, safety plan and the treatment he underwent in prison were additional factors for consideration. - By Tara Shaskey Open Justice multimedia journalist from NZ Herald
1News
a day ago
- 1News
Woman accused of selling Matthew Perry fatal dose agrees to plead guilty
A woman known as the "Ketamine Queen," charged with selling Matthew Perry the drug that killed him, agreed to plead guilty Tuesday. Jasveen Sangha becomes the fifth and final defendant charged in the overdose death of the Friends star to strike a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. Having initially pleaded not guilty, her change of plea means she'll avoid a trial that had been planned for August. Prosecutors had cast Sangha as a prolific drug dealer who was known to her customers as the "Ketamine Queen," using the term often in press releases and court documents and even including it in the official name of the case. Matthew Perry, left, and 'Ketamine Queen' Jasveen Sangha. (Source: Getty / Facebook) A federal indictment charged Sangha with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine. ADVERTISEMENT She and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who signed his own plea deal June 16, had been the primary targets of the investigation. Three other defendants — Dr. Mark Chavez, Kenneth Iwamasa and Erik Fleming — agreed to plead guilty last year in exchange for their cooperation, which included statements implicating Sangha and Plasencia. Dr. Salvador Plasencia leaves federal court on Wednesday, July 23, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Source: Associated Press) Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home by Iwamasa, his assistant, on October 28, 2023. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death. The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor as a legal, but off-label, treatment for depression, which has become increasingly common. Perry, 54, sought more ketamine than his doctor would give him. He began getting it from Plasencia about a month before his death, then started getting still more from Sangha about two weeks before his death, prosecutors said. Perry and Iwamasa found Sangha through Perry's friend Fleming. In their plea agreements, both men described the subsequent deals in detail. Fleming messaged Iwamasa saying Sangha's ketamine was 'unmarked but it's amazing,' according to court documents. Fleming texted Iwamasa that she only deals 'with high end and celebs. If it were not great stuff she'd lose her business.' The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including Zelensky's suit becomes hot topic at peace summit, a cold blast on the way, and Auckland FC lures new signing back home. (Source: 1News) ADVERTISEMENT With the two men acting as middlemen, Perry bought large amounts of ketamine from Sangha, including 25 vials for US$6000 (NZ$10,100) in cash four days before his death. That purchase included the doses that killed Perry, prosecutors said. On the day of Perry's death, Sangha told Fleming they should delete all the messages they had sent each other, according to her indictment. Her home in North Hollywood, California, was raided in March 2024 by Drug Enforcement Administration agents who found large amounts of methamphetamines and ketamine, according to an affidavit from an agent. She was indicted that June, arrested that August and has been held in jail since. None of the defendants has yet been sentenced. Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on Friends, when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC's megahit series.
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Dogs that fatally mauled Neville Thomson also allegedly turned on owner Abel Wira
'They were vicious-looking dogs. '[I] had to wind the window up so they didn't jump in the window 'cause they were bailing up the truck.' Knopp said the dogs were often in the caravan fighting with each other and he noticed the door was only secured by a log. 'It wasn't that secure, I don't think it was, just leaning up against it, dogs could probably push it open,' Knopp said. Knopp also recalled a story Wira had allegedly told of his own dangerous encounter with the dogs. 'One time he told me his own dogs attacked him. He was saying it was on the beach and he had to go in the water to try and drown them to get them off him.' The jury heard on Monday that Wira had been staying at Thomson's Puketawa Rd property in Panguru in a caravan with his dogs. At least six of the dogs were adults and the rest were at varying stages of puppy life. On August 4, 2022, Wira went out to retrieve a car he had crashed weeks beforehand and then went to Broadwood to pick up items, including dog food. Thomson was home alone and on the phone to his partner when the pack of dogs, which were allegedly barricaded in the caravan, got out and mauled him to death. Wira arrived home to discover Thomson's body, which he dragged into the house and covered with a blanket before sending a friend a Facebook message. 'I need help bro please my dogs have attacked my bro and hes gone please bro,' he said. He then locked the dogs in a truck, closed the gate and drove Thomson's truck an hour away to Ahipara, where he was able to wave down police officers. Neville Thomson lived in the remote area of Panguru overlooking the Hokianga harbour. Emergency services arrived on the scene more than three hours after the incident and pronounced Thomson dead. Thomson's partner Shirley Orchard gave evidence about their 17-year relationship, which was mostly long-distance. Orchard lived in Auckland and would speak to Thomson on the phone every morning when he had his morning coffee. She said on that morning, about 10am, he was chatting about his garden and she could hear that he was outside. 'Get the f*** out' With her knowledge of the property, she believes Thomson was walking along the gravel towards the back of the house and the dogs, which were locked in the caravan, caught sight of him. 'They started off barking, as soon as he walked into sight of the caravan, they thought he was a stranger because he had shaved off his beard,' Orchard said in evidence. 'The barking all started up and got louder and that was when I heard him shout out 'get out, get the f*** out' then the noise escalated from the dogs and I never heard not another sound out of him.' Connor Taylor (left) and Arthur Fairley (right) are the defence lawyers for Abel Wira. Photo / NZME During cross-examination, defence lawyer Connor Taylor suggested to Orchard that Thomson himself may have released the dogs from the caravan. 'I'm not a stupid woman, as soon as he walked into sight of those dogs they busted out of the caravan and attacked him,' Orchard responded. 'You're just guessing, aren't you?' Connor questioned. 'The evidence is he was attacked by dogs, whether he was by the fish pond or I'm making it all up the fact was, he was out in the garden and he was hurt by dogs,' Orchard said. Orchard then gave evidence she spent the next hour trying to contact Thomson and asked a neighbour, Lucy Burkhardt, to check on his house. When Burkhardt texted her saying the gate was closed, Thomson felt a slight relief as it was his normal habit to close the gate if he had left the property. 'That's a good sign, he's out and not lying in a pool of blood maybe he's in Rawene getting stitched up,' she texted back to Burkhardt. Neville Thomson was known as an animal lover who had two dogs of his own. Photo / Supplied Orchard assumed Thomson was okay but made a call to 111 as a safety check. The call was played to the jury. 'The dogs are going off for quite a while and I couldn't hear him then the dogs have settled down. 'Those dogs have actually attacked me and I know they haven't been fed for two days. I thought 'my God have they attacked him?' I've got no way of knowing,' Orchard told the operator. When asked what kind of dogs they were, Orchard responded 'mongrels'. Burkhart gave evidence the dogs had mauled her pig's ears on one occasion. The trial continues before Justice Andrew Becroft. Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.
