A 27-year-old Dargaville man today pleaded guilty to
assaulting a Northland police officer - one of two officers
injured in a brutal attack during a Christmas Day arrest.
Stewart Anthony Tahere, who has been in custody since his
arrest, pleaded guilty today to assaulting the officer and
also admitted a charge of escaping lawful custody when he
appeared before Judge Harvey Duncan in the Dargaville
District Court.
Tahere was one of five people who reappeared today on a
number of charges relating to the assault which left both
policemen hospitalised for a short time. He was remanded in
custody until April 23.
The two officers had been responding to reports from
church-goers who saw teenagers damaging letterboxes.
During the arrest, the policemen were allegedly punched to
the ground then kicked. One officer was knocked unconscious.
Police said he was forced to use his pepper spray and fired
his Taser twice.
One woman allegedly used a brick as a weapon and tried to
shoot the officer with his own Taser after it was taken from
him.
When she was unable to fire it, she smashed it.
In court today, police withdrew the sole charge of aggravated
assault on police against 19-year-old Kiki Uelese, of
Wellington.
Alissa Sailo Gooding, 25, and Joshua Terrence Dennis
Pilisi-Mohetaue, 28, both from Dargaville, were remanded
without plea for a post committal conference on February 28.
Gooding is charged with injuring with intent to cause
grievous bodily harm, assaulting police with a weapon and
damage to police property (a Taser), while Pilisi-Mohetaue is
charged with injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily
harm.
William Campbell-Tahere, 17, had a charge of escaping custody
withdrawn, but still faces three other charges.
He entered no plea to two of wilful damage and one of
disorderly behaviour.
- The Northern Advocate
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