Defendants stage walk-out

Press, 22 December 1987, Page 6

Defendants stage walk-out

PA Wellington A refusal to adjourn a court case until early February precipitated a walkout by 20 defendants from the District Court at Tauranga yesterday. Judge David Wilson immediately issued warrants for their arrest. The 20 were all members of the Ngai Tamarawaho sub-tribe, who had been defending charges of trespassing on the old Tauranga town hall site on September 16. The walk-out followed the

completion of the Crown’s case about 4 p.m. A spokesman for the defendants, Anaru Halverson Kohu, said the group had decided it was not prepared to return to Court today to begin the case for its defence. Judge Wilson had said the case would continue today and tomorrow. Kohu, an elder, aged 63, said the days before Christmas were inconvenient to the defendants and their families because of holiday arrangements.

Kohu also said several defence witnesses would not be available on the days laid down by the Court The defendants were not able to prepare properly for Christmas because of the energy they were centring on the case, he said. Kohu asked for the hearing to be adjourned until February 9. Judge Wilson told the group he could not agree to the adjournment because of the tight Court schedule in the New

Year. After the walk-out about 20 uniformed and off-duty police assembled at the Court. Senior-Sergeant Geoff Brand, the offlcer-in-charge of the case and the last Crown witness called yesterday, said the warrants would be executed to ensure the defendants appeared in Court. Senior police said they would speak to the defendants to try to resolve matters.