Jail terms for Urewera pair

Tame Iti. Photo NZ Herald
Tame Iti. Photo NZ Herald
Half of the 'Urewera Four' have received jail terms as they were sentenced on firearms charges dating back to the 2007 raids.

Tame Iti has been jailed for two and a-half years, as has Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara.

Sentencing for Urs Signer and Emily Bailey has been adjourned ahead of home detention reports.

After a six-week trial at the High Court in Auckland in March jurors were unable to reach a decision on the main charge of belonging to an organised criminal group.

However, they were able to reach a decision on the firearms charges.

Tame Iti and Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara were found guilty of six firearms charges and not guilty of four.

Urs Signer was found guilty of five firearms charges and not guilty of five.

Emily Bailey was found guilty of six firearms charges and not guilty of four.

The Supreme Court ruled in September last year that some of the evidence from police had been gathered illegally but could be used at the trial because of the serious nature of the alleged offending relating to the organised criminal group charge.

Fourteen other accused who were facing firearms charges alone had their charges dropped as a result of the ruling.

Earlier this month Crown lawyers filed an application for a stay in proceedings which effectively means there will be no re-trial on the charge of belonging to an organised criminal group.

 

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