Police investigating 'unexplained' death at rural Northland property
Police have been called to an "unexplained" death in Parakao.
Photo:
RNZ / REECE BAKER
Police have been called to an "unexplained" death at a rural property in Northland.
The body of a man was found by ambulance staff at the property off Mangakahia Road (State Highway 15), Parakao just before 4pm Friday.
Police said the death is being treated as unexplained and an investigation is underway into the circumstances.
The property has been cordoned off, a scene guard is in place and a scene examination will happen, police said.
A post mortem would be carried out at a later stage.
"These enquiries are in the very early stages and no further information is currently available," a police spokesperson said.
Anyone with information to assist police can call 105 using the reference number P062498068.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Police knew LynnMall terrorist Ahamed Samsudeen was likely to commit an attack before immigration hearing, inquest hears
Ahamed Samsudeen. Photo: New Zealand Herald / Greg Bowker Police knew about the risk of Ahamed Samsudeen committing an attack before an immigration tribunal appeal hearing to determine his deportation, an inquest has heard. The inquest into the death of Samsudeen heard evidence the police had known in the month before the LynnMall terror attack that he was likely to commit an attack before an immigration tribunal appeal hearing that was scheduled to take place on 13 September 2021. A lawyer assisting the Coroner, Erin McGill, in her examining of a senior police officer from the National Security Group, referenced an application for surveillance warrant made by the police on 17 August 2021, which raised concerns about the risk of an attack before the appeal hearing. Samsudeen was at the time being stripped of his refugee status, but his deportation was pending the outcome of his appeal. McGill asked the senior police officer whether the team surveilling Samsudeen would be aware of this information relating to the risk of an attack, to which the officer said "I would've thought so". McGill acknowledged that around the end of August, the 13 September hearing date was being rescheduled to a later date due to delays during the Covid-19 lockdown and the fact that Samsudeen had changed his lawyer. It was unclear when the rescheduled date would be. According to a timeline from a coordinated review of the management of Samsudeen , released by joint government agencies in late 2022, Samsudeen first entered New Zealand from Sri Lanka on a student visa in 2011 and subsequently was granted refugee status. He was known to police for posting objectionable material depicting graphic violence as early as 2016. In 2017, a former flatmate of Samsudeen reported to police that Samsudeen told him he wanted to travel to Syria to fight for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and that he'd commit a knife attack if he was prevented from doing that. Samsudeen was arrested in May 2017 at an airport after attempting to fly overseas, and was charged with possession of objectionable material, and would spend nearly four years in remand in custody. The senior police officer from the National Security Group was asked whether the terror attack could've been stopped sooner if a surveillance officer had followed Samsudeen into the mall on 3 September. Samsudeen had just been released from prison seven weeks prior to the attack. He was serving a 12-month community sentence and was under 24-7 surveillance by covert police officers due to the high risk he posed to national security. The inquest heard that a surveillance officer - referred to as Officer D - had followed Samsudeen on the day, but decided not to follow him into the mall. Under questioning by McGill around why Officer D made that call, the senior officer said Officer D had been surveilling Samsudeen for seven weeks and noticed nothing unusual in his behaviour that day. He also conceded that Officer D likely didn't know that the Countdown (now Woolworths) supermarket sold knives. When asked by McGill whether there would've been a different approach to surveillance on the day, if the surveillance team knew the supermarket sold knives, the senior police officer said he couldn't directly answer that. McGill also noted that Officer D's evidence stated that Samsudeen was making positive plans for the future around the time of the attack, including making enquiries about employment and accommodation options. After a long line of questions, McGill asked the senior officer if he thought the attack could've been stopped sooner if Officer D had followed Samsudeen into the mall. The senior officer said "it had the potential to raise the alarm slightly earlier", but added it's uncertain whether it would've stopped the attack earlier. He said due to the covert nature of surveillance, the officer was unlikely to have been in the same aisle as Samsudeen to see what he was doing. He conceded that if a surveillance member had seen Samsudeen taking the knife off the shelves, that would've triggered the team to call the Special Tactics Group. Earlier when Coroner Marcus Elliott opened the inquest, he said it would not be revisiting the conclusion of the Independent Police Conduct Authority finding that two officers were legally justified in shooting Samsudeen, and that the surveillance officer who decided not to follow Samsudeen into the supermarket initially, had acted reasonably. However, he said that does not mean there was nothing to learn from the attack, and the inquest would discuss recommendations. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Man jailed, woman avoids conviction, after fatal 50th birthday shooting in Stokes Valley
By Catherine Hutton, Open Justice reporter of Rawiri Zane Wharerau, 39, was killed in December 2023, during a 50th birthday celebration for his cousin Robert Hauki snr. Photo: Open Justice/NZME Rawiri Zane Wharerau was a proud whānau man who would do anything he could to help his loved ones. His final act of generosity and love was to host a surprise 50th birthday party for his cousin Robert Huaki snr in the Stokes Valley home Rawiri shared with his older brother, Hemi. Throwing the party meant a lot to Rawiri, his son Kain has remembered. "He was proud and happy to be hosting a celebration at our home. He couldn't wait for my uncle Rob to show up and see what he had put on for him." But that milestone celebration turned to chaos and tragedy when, in the early hours of 16 December 2023, Rawiri was fatally shot and Hemi, also shot, was seriously injured. After the shooting, two partygoers, a man and a woman, stood trial on charges of murder and attempted murder, with the woman facing an additional charge of assault with a weapon. The man, who has interim name suppression, was found guilty of manslaughter and discharging a firearm, and the woman, whose identity is permanently suppressed, was found guilty of assault with a weapon. Yesterday, they appeared in the High Court at Wellington before Justice Dale La Hood for sentencing. There were 19 victim impact statements, eight of which were read in court, which emphasised the tragedy's ongoing impact. Hemi's statement described the close bond he shared with his brother Rawiri - also known as Tubs. He said Rawiri, 39, was his best friend and his "little big brother", and not a day went by that he didn't think about him. Hemi said his life would never be the same. He hadn't slept through the night since the shooting, and when he did sleep, he dreamed of Rawiri. Hemi spent weeks on crutches because of the shooting, suffered PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and struggled financially. A bullet remained lodged in his left hip. "I thought to myself, more than once, I'm going to die," he said. Hemi felt the accused couple had betrayed them. "I hope you pay for what you have done in this life before you go to your next life. I believe in karma and what goes around comes around," he told them. Outlining the night's events, Justice La Hood said the couple left the party after an argument between themselves and Huaki snr. Huaki snr had allegedly made a derogatory remark about the couple's alleged ties to the Mongrel Mob. The man, a member of Mangu Kaha, a gang associated with the Black Power, took exception to the comment. The couple left, but not before the man made threats to return. A short time later, they returned with a gun and fought with partygoers on the street. The backyard at the Wharerau house in Stokes Valley where Rawiri Wharerau was killed and his older brother Hemi was injured. Photo: Open Justice/NZME During the fight, the man knocked Huaki snr unconscious, while the woman hit Hemi in the head several times with the gun. They went back to their house and then returned to the party a final time. The man claimed he returned to the party to find $2000 cash that had earlier fallen out of his bumbag. "The loss of the money, in combination with the disrespect you believed you had been shown, motivated you to go back to the address and assert your authority," Justice La Hood said. Arriving at the house, the man racked the gun and said "cheeky c****" to those seated under a gazebo. As the group advanced on the man, he fired one shot, followed by three more, hitting Hemi in the lower abdomen, groin and leg, the judge said. As he fled down the driveway, he let off another shot at torso height, which struck and fatally wounded Rawiri. Justice La Hood said the man knew the risks that were involved when he fired the gun. "It was a situation of your own making." After reading the victim impact statements, the judge said it was clear Rawiri was a generous, kind, and humble father, brother, uncle, and cousin. The type of person who brought people together, he said. Kain's statement said nothing had prepared him or his family for the pain and shock of losing his father in such a violent and senseless way. He described his father as being the heart of their family. "He was a man who lived for others and always put his loved ones first, no matter what challenges he faced." Kain said what was meant to be a celebration turned into the most devastating day of his life. "It was a day that should have been filled with laughter, whānau and joy. Instead, it became the day he was taken from us." Wendy Te Paki, a relative of Rawiri's, said that when she found out he'd been killed her heart stopped. But sadness soon turned to anger toward the defendants. "I cannot understand why. Just why? Why was he killed?" she asked. She said Rawiri had so much to live for. "The reality is, I hate what yous did. Yous had no right. It's unforgivable, it's evil, and I want yous to tell the truth. If only yous were honest from the beginning," she said. In Crown submissions, prosecutor Sally Carter sought a starting point of 12 years' jail for the man, while his lawyer, Elizabeth Hall, suggested 7.5 years. Carter said the aggravating factors included the use of the firearm, premeditation and that Rawiri and Hemi were unarmed. She also noted they were shot on their property. In mitigation, Hall sought discounts for her client's attempts to admit to manslaughter a year before his trial. Credit for the months spent on electronically monitored bail, his remorse, rehabilitative prospects and difficult background, which led him to gang life, should also be applied, she submitted. Justice La Hood said that while the man appeared remorseful for shooting Rawiri and deserved credit for trying to admit manslaughter before the trial, remorse for shooting Hemi would have been reflected in a guilty plea - which he did not enter. He also continued to deny aspects of the offending by telling the pre-sentence report writer he'd fired two shots at Hemi and suggested someone else had fired the third. But Justice La Hood said it was clear the man was engaging well in rehabilitation and was committed to reconnecting with his culture. Taking all factors into account, he sentenced the man to eight years' imprisonment. The judge declined permanent name suppression but made an interim order after Hall indicated she would appeal that decision. She was found guilty of striking Hemi during the fight on the street, leaving him with a 2cm cut to his head. Ord said her client regretted injuring Hemi and took responsibility for what had happened. But surrounded by gang members that night, she was extremely frightened and had panicked, Ord explained. Carter submitted that it was reasonably serious offending, and that when the woman was wielding the gun, she hadn't acted in self-defence. The prosecutor suggested home detention was appropriate. Justice La Hood accepted that while the woman would have been scared, she had also supported her aggressive partner. "Your actions were to support his aggression out of a genuine, but misplaced sense of loyalty to him," he said. In weighing up the applications, Justice La Hood found that while the offending wasn't at the serious end of the scale, it also wasn't minor. But considering the defendant's young age, lack of previous convictions, rehabilitative prospects, and that her offending was out of loyalty to her partner, he granted both applications. He said it would allow her to "put these tragic events behind you and fulfil your obvious potential". "I implore you to do that," the judge said. There were murmurs of discontent from Rawiri and Hemi's supporters in the public gallery as the sentence was announced. Outside court, Kain said the whānau weren't happy with the man's sentence and the prospect that, with good behaviour, he could be released from jail within a few years. * This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Boyracer charged over burnout during 'Levin invasion' sorry for involvement
About 30 police were deployed after a gathering of more than 200 cars ended in antisocial behaviour on the streets of Levin. Photo: NZ Police / Supplied A boyracer charged over his involvement in what's been called the "Levin invasion" has come forward and apologised. The street racer said he had written apology letters to people disrupted by the event and was selling the now impounded car he used to do a burnout. Police said a crowd of about 1000 gathered at the event last Friday. Four bystanders aged between 16 and 20 were hit by vehicles. One woman had both her legs run over. Fireworks and vehicles were used against officers trying to break up the gathering. Several of their cars had tyres slashed and police had to use sponge rounds to disperse the crowd. Nine cars were impounded on the night and 15 arrests made. Since then some of the impounded vehicles have appeared for sale on Facebook Marketplace . Police have warned buyers to beware when buying any car online and check it is suitable and safe. One of the drivers charged has admitted it was a dumb thing to do and told Checkpoint he regretted getting involved and did not want to be associated with the impounded car. "I'm very f***ing sorry... a lot of us aren't impressed with the behaviour. "I've already said very formal apologies to a lot of people around the area." The driver, who didn't want to be named, said he was heading home from the car meet at the end of the night when a large group of street racers began following behind him. "Everyone got out their cars, started recording me and were like 'Do a skid, do a skid.' So I f***ing did a skid. "There was a police helicopter in the sky and watching. And then he followed me after the skid to my mate's place and then police pulled up the driveway." The driver's car was impounded, and he then listed the impound papers for sale, a cheaper way to get rid of the vehicle. He said after the events of the weekend, he didn't want to be involved in those sort of meets again. "I can't guarantee it's not going to happen again. But on my end, I'm not going to be associating with it. "I just wanna try and move forward really cause I've got quite a few other things going on like at home and all that so I don't need, you know, silly **** like this ruining it." He said he doubted boyracers would listen to warnings from police and the government, and believed they had tried to find other ways to race. "Me and my mate tried opening up a little skid pad on his farm, but that got quickly postponed from the police. "So we just took it to the streets really. And that's how it is. I think that's how it's always going to be, to be honest." Proposed new legislation to bring in harsher penalties on boyracers was announced by the government in May. If put in place drivers could risk their cars being crushed, rather than impounded. Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the current penalties weren't enough to deter the behaviour. "Kiwis are sick of seeing these idiot drivers putting everyone around them at risk, so we're taking action through a range of much tougher penalties." The boyracer said he didn't think the risk of losing a car was going to be enough to stop most drivers. "All the ones with a job and everything, they've got money to go out the next day and buy another car so they're not too worried." Police have initiated an investigation phase into the events in Levin and it is likely there will be more charges and possible impounds of vehicles to come. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
