Crime
Defence challenged over DVD screening
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Crime
Thursday 6: Defence counsel in the Operation Slush trial did not inform prosecution that a DVD would be screened to a witness. Tereapii Porio, former infrastructure manager for Atiu, testified in the Cook Islands High Court yesterday. Lawyer for Vaile, Tim Arnold, organised a mobile DVD player in the ministry of justice office to screen […]
Operation Slush trial resumes
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Crime
Thursday 6: The country’s biggest court case re-started on Monday with two of the defendants representing themselves. Dubbed ‘Operation Slush’, the trial has been running since October last year. Lawyer Norman George, Chris Vaile and Charles Koronui face of raft conspiracy and corruption charges spanning 1999 to 2002. Appearing before Justice Colin Nicholson this week, […]
Teacher makes bad call
Wednesday 5 August 2009 | Published in Crime
Thursday 30: A Tereora College teacher has admitted to testing for excess breath alcohol after crashing his car at Tupapa earlier this month. Delaney Yaqona pleaded guilty to a charge of returning a result of 480mcg/l – the legal limit is 400mcg/l, after being tested by police on July 19. Yaqona apologised to the court […]
Do something about intersection, chief justice
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Saturday 18: The court has urged something be done to a “virtually invisible” stop sign that marred the holiday of a New Zealand tourist. Russel Corfield, 57, had pleaded guilty last month to careless driving causing injury. He returned from New Zealand to appear before Chief Justice David Williams in the Cook Islands High Court […]
Two years for attempted rape
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Monday 20: A 58-year-old man has been sentenced to two years in jail for attempted rape last month. Nooapii Williams Tauu attempted to rape a woman in Titikaveka on March 28. Appearing before Chief Justice David Williams, the court heard how Tauu had been drinking at a house with the victim and others. They all […]
Kissing lands man back in jail
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Monday 20: Grabbing and kissing a girl against her will, has landed Anthony Kakino back in prison. The 20-year-old was convicted of indecent assault last week by Chief Justice David Williams in the Cook Islands High Court. He was sentenced to two years in jail. Early Friday, October 23 last year, Kakino was driving his […]
Troublesome youth gets 2 years in jail
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Monday 20: Teenager Daniel Mare was sentenced to two years in prison last Thursday in the Cook Islands High Court. Appearing before Chief Justice David Williams, the 16-year-old was sentenced on 31 charges. These included 20 burglary charges spanning from March 2007 to January 2009; theft; two counts of unlawful taking; unlawfully found in an […]
Lawyer's assault appeal denied
Wednesday 15 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Saturday 11: Lawyer Tevita Vakalalabure cannot appeal against his assault conviction. In the High Court on Thursday, Chief Justice David Williams denied his appeal application and upheld the guilty verdict Justice of Peace John Kenning handed down in December. The conviction related to an October 30 incident where Vakalalabure assaulted the shop keeper at the […]
Teen of 16 has record 80 charges
Wednesday 15 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Saturday 11: Teenager Daniel Mare had more than 80 charges against his name, it was revealed in the Cook Islands High Court this week. The 16-year-old appeared before Chief Justice David Williams on Wednesday for sentencing on excess breath alcohol, two counts of escaping custody, possession of cannabis and a single charge of unlawful taking […]
Sunday case proceeds
Wednesday 15 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Thursday 9: An application challenging Air Rarotonga flights to Aitutaki on Sundays will be heard in the high court, after a hearing yesterday. Chief Justice David Williams said that he wanted some issues cleared up before deciding whether the case should proceed. The judge expressed disappointment with Paul Lynch (for minister Tangata Vavia) for giving […]
Man of 41 convicted for rape
Wednesday 15 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Thursday 9: A 41-year-old man was convicted of rape, abduction and indecent assault of a girl under the age of 12. Fakiki Munokoa Araipu of Arorangi appeared before Chief Justice David Williams yesterday on charges relating to a February 19 incident. Araipu had already pleaded guilty to abduction and indecent assault. Yesterday, he pleaded guilty […]
Man of 71 jailed for raping girl of 12
Wednesday 15 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Thursday 9: A 71-year-old man attempted a number of times to rape a girl who was under 12 years of age. Rima Makea was convicted of three charges of attempted rape and a single charge of indecent assault. He was sentenced by Chief Justice David Williams in the Cook Islands High Court yesterday. The offending […]
Lawyer makes appeal, faces sentencing
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Wednesday 8: Chief Justice David Williams has reserved his decision on Tevita Vakalalabure’s application to appeal against his assault conviction. Lawyer Vakalalabure appeared in the High Court on Monday appealing against the guilty verdict made by Justice of Peace John Kenning in December. The conviction of assault on a female relates to an incident that […]
PDL told to pay Crosby Exports
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Tuesday 7: Possibly the last saga involving Pacific Distributors Ltd (PDL) was played out in the high court this week. On Monday Chief Justice David Williams ordered that Crosby Exports Ltd be paid $40,262.81 for outstanding money and interest owed by PDL to the company. The money will be paid out of $48,063.43 which has […]
Aitutaki Sunday flights case back before court
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Tuesday 7: An application into the Aitutaki Sunday flights will be heard in the high court tomorrow, but filed under different legislation. After a hearing last Wednesday, Chief Justice David Williams invited counsel for the applicants to consider applying to convert the declaration proceedings into judicial review proceedings under the new Judicature Amendment Act 2008. […]
Change of plea for hit and run
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Tuesday 7: A hit and run accused changed her plea yesterday in the Cook Islands High Court. Greer Solomon appeared before Chief Justice David Williams and through her lawyer Norman George, made an application to vacate her guilty plea. Solomon pleaded guilty on March 19 to careless driving causing injury and failing to stop and […]
News from the Cook Islands High Court
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Crime
Monday 6: Court appearances on March 19: Allan Heather – appeared before Justice of Peace John Kenning on a charge of common assault and unlawful taking. Case was adjourned to April 16. Teokotai Une – pleaded guilty to excess breath alcohol. Une was recorded with a reading of 460mg/s. The legal limit is 400mg/s. He […]
Other court appearances
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in Crime
27 March: Leon Mataiti – was issued a bench warrant fo r failing to appear in court. He faced a driving with excess breath alcohol charge. Toawea Highland – was facing a driving while disqualified charge but failed to appear in court. A bench warrant was also issued. Putere Dean – has nine charges before […]
7 days in jail for 18-year-old
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in Crime
27 March: An 18-year-old was sentenced to seven days in prison after breaking his probation conditions. Teremoana Saddler pleaded guilty to two counts of contempt of court in the Rarotonga High Court last Thursday (March 19). Appearing before Justice of the Peace John Kenning, the defendant admitted to not being home on March 14 and […]