Guilty pleas by escapers

Press, 21 October 1983, Page 13

Guilty pleas by escapers

PA isborne Two Paremoremo prison escapers who . kidnapped an Auckland girl, aged six, and her grandfather, aged 62, and drove them to Gisborne at gunpoint last week-end have pleaded guilty to all charges laid, against them and will be sentenced in the High Court at Auckland. Ernest Tehurunui Kiri, aged 29, and Paul Owen Ibbotson, aged 22, each faced seven charges. Judge Rice declined jurisdiction in the District Court at Gisborne yesterday and committed them for sen-

tence on November 3.

The two men are charged with escaping from Paremoremo prison, burglary of the Kaukapakapa bach of Mr Reginald Brown, kidnapping Mr Brown, kidnapping his granddaughter, Miss Sara Scheffer, possessing a firearm at the time of the offence of kidnapping, robbing Mr Brown of money, and unlawfully taking a Valiant car belonging to Mr Patrick Spring.

Kiri and Ibbotson appeared handcuffed in the dock yesterday morning as they pleaded guilty and

heard a brief summary relating to the charges other than robbery and kidnapP The matters will be heard fully by the High Court. Sergeant Steven Hooper told the Court that the two men had fled Paremoremo while on an errand. At Kaukapakapa they broke into Mr Brown’s bach through a toilet window, and took property including a rifle, bullets, tools, rope and clothing. They had robbed and kidnapped Mr Brown and Miss Scheffer and drove them to Gisborne.