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Te Waiariki Grace fatally stabbed Mongrel Mob partner as she tried to protect herself
Te Waiariki Grace fatally stabbed Mongrel Mob partner as she tried to protect herself

RNZ News

time18-07-2025

  • RNZ News

Te Waiariki Grace fatally stabbed Mongrel Mob partner as she tried to protect herself

By Belinda Feek, Open Justice multimedia journalist of Te Reo Wickliffe-Heta, 24, of Hamilton, was found dead in a Hamilton driveway on 30 December 2023. Photo: Open Justice / NZME Warning: This story discusses graphic details of domestic violence. The mother of a gang member fatally stabbed by his partner during a fight at her house said the knock at the door from police that day will be forever etched in her mind. Te Waiariki Te Uaahiahi Grace stabbed her Mongrel Mob gang member partner , Te Reo Wickliffe-Heta, in the chest during a fight after he turned up to her home in a "highly agitated state" in 2023. He ran off down the street before collapsing and dying. Grace has had name suppression since first appearing in court in January 2024. The 25-year-old was sentenced on a charge of manslaughter in the High Court at Hamilton in December last year, when Justice Grant Powell agreed to extend her suppression for a further six months. That suppression has now lapsed, meaning she can now be named and NZME can reveal what happened at her sentencing for the first time. Wickliffe-Heta's mother, Tina, spoke at Grace's sentencing about the heartbreak she continues to endure without her 24-year-old son. "The day that I woke up to the police officers knocking at my door is a day I will never forget," she told the court. "I knew from the moment I saw them that it was bad news." Being told of his death, she then felt "the most pain I have ever felt in my life". "And now it constantly feels like I lost a piece of my heart to find out the person who took my son was his partner. "I feel so much anger that I don't know what to do with it most days. "He was taken from me ... in an incident that could have been avoided." Despite her son's life choices, she said he was "respected by many and he really loved Te Waiariki". "I feel sad that my son has been made to look like a monster. He's the one who is not here today." At that stage, she said she still couldn't forgive Grace for what she had done. Wickliffe-Heta was celebrating his birthday with friends and family in Hamilton when he died on 29 December 2023. Grace was also there, and the pair began fighting, verbally, before they started pushing each other. She decided to head home and leave and was picked up by relatives. About 20 minutes later, Wickliffe-Heta arrived in a "highly agitated state" and began banging on the back door so loudly she eventually opened it because she was worried he would break a window. Grace messaged a relative on social media to let her know he'd arrived, before he went into the room and dragged her from a table, and onto the ground. As she yelled out for help, Wickliffe-Heta repeatedly hit her, and Grace hit him back. Te Reo Wickliffe-Heta, 24, of Hamilton, was found dead in a Hamilton driveway on 30 December 2023. Photo: Open Justice / NZME Wickliffe-Heta hit her with a metal chair, then got on top of her and started strangling her, but she was able to squeeze his testicles and get away. As Grace's relatives headed to her house, telling her to "keep him there" and "I am coming", she ran outside, but he grabbed her by the leg to stop her, then pulled her hair and dragged her to the front doorstep. She managed to break free and went into the house, and armed herself with two large kitchen knives. The pair began yelling at each other, and Wickliffe-Heta moved closer as Grace turned and went inside. He grabbed her by the shoulder, and during the scuffle that followed, she stabbed Wickliffe-Heta once, in an upward motion, with one of the knives piercing his chest, slicing his heart and liver, causing massive internal bleeding. Wickliffe-Heta ran outside to the letterbox, and Grace followed him, still holding the knives as the argument continued. He then walked away, crossing the road, just as the woman's relatives turned up and all three chased after him. Wickliffe-Heta went down a driveway and over a fence before falling and becoming unconscious. Grace and her relatives went back to her house, and the knives were placed under the front passenger seat of their car. They left but were stopped by police, and the knives, one of which had blood on it, were found. Wickliffe-Heta was later found by a member of the public, having died sometime earlier. Officers dealing with Grace that evening and the following day noticed she had bruising to her face and was uncomfortable while walking. Crown solicitor Jacinda Hamilton acknowledged that it was Wickliffe-Heta who went to Grace's home and became violent that night; however, she had been able to remove herself twice before fatally stabbing him. "She had the opportunity to close the door, and she didn't take it." Justice Powell said complicating the sentencing was the brain injury Grace suffered in a car crash two months before the incident and the effect that had on her normal responses. Hamilton didn't take issue with an expert report prepared about that, but reiterated the "devastating loss" his whānau had suffered. His whānau had not felt any remorse from Grace, she said. Grace's counsel, Gerard Walsh, said "words can seem very empty" at times, but reiterated that her remorse was genuine. Walsh said the situation that night wasn't one where Grace had many choices. "He kept coming," he said. "Miss Grace was being beaten that night, and I don't put it any other way." The stabbing was self-defence, with Wickliffe-Heta showing persistent aggression in a scuffle that he initiated. In pushing for a home detention sentence, he said Grace had no criminal history and qualified for a discount for youth, her guilty plea, 10 months on electronically-monitored bail, and various reports. Justice Powell explained how the pair met when they were both 14. "There's no doubt that your relationship was volatile, and arguments and physical assaults were not unusual, particularly when drinking," he said. The toxicity was also apparent to whānau of the pair, with Grace's father having tried to get her to move to Whakatāne. The violence began in the second year of their relationship, and it increased in their final three years together. At the time of his death, Wickliffe-Heta was on bail on a charge of attempting to strangle her. The judge accepted that for much of the night, Wickliffe-Heta was the aggressor, and Grace tried to protect herself. As for her crash injuries, she had left the hospital under pressure from Wickliffe-Heta before getting any treatment and hadn't received any ongoing treatment for her injuries. "I accept from the doctor that you would not only have received heightened pain when assaulted but also a heightened sense of vulnerability." Grace was assessed as being at a low risk of reoffending and harm to others, so he agreed to commute the 20-month jail term to 10 months' home detention. If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111. This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.

Hori Gage's partner describes moment he was gunned down outside his home in Palmerston North
Hori Gage's partner describes moment he was gunned down outside his home in Palmerston North

NZ Herald

time15-07-2025

  • NZ Herald

Hori Gage's partner describes moment he was gunned down outside his home in Palmerston North

It's the Crown's case that Gage was killed in retaliation for a violent gang brawl that happened two days earlier, when a local Black Power president was stabbed and had his patch taken off him by members of the Mongrel Mob. Gage, a Mongrel Mob member from a different chapter, hadn't been at that brawl and was gunned down while he sat in his car outside his home with his family. Hori Gage, 27, was fatally shot in front of his family in Palmerston North on August 6. Photo / NZ Police The Crown says it was Robert Richards and Royden Haenga who had gone out looking for rival gang members to kill in retribution for the attack on the local Black Power president. Haenga admits to being at the scene but says he didn't intend to kill Gage, while Roberts denies being there at all. 'Honestly mate, I wasn't there' In the police interview, the key Crown witness, who was known to Haenga, initially denied any involvement with the homicide or being at a Black Power address known as 'The Farm' where members of the gang had been congregating before Gage was killed. The man was then shown cellphone polling data that placed his and Haenga's phone at The Farm at the same time, despite him claiming he was somewhere else and had spent the day with family. He was also shown text messages from his partner to another person one minute before Gage was killed, saying that he wasn't with her and that he was with Haenga. However, in the interview the man claims he wasn't at The Farm and hadn't been at the Black Power meeting. Robert Richards and Royden Haenga appeared at the High Court in Palmerston North for the start of a four-week trial. Photo / Jeremy Wilkinson He was then played audio from CCTV on Croyden Ave in Palmerston North where the shooting took place. The CCTV did not show the shooting but recorded the gunshots and the aftermath. Gage's partner and children can be heard screaming before a white Nissan passes in front of the camera. It's part of the Crown's case that this car belongs to Haenga. After this, the man changed his story and admitted to being at The Farm. 'Honestly mate, I wasn't there [at the scene of the crime],' the man said. 'I wasn't there, I stayed at The Farm.' He was shown photos of gang members police believed were at The Farm on August 6, but said he was not a Black Power associate and did not know many of the people there, especially because they were wearing balaclavas. The man, who is not a current gang member, said the people at the address were told to take their patches off before leaving. The rest of his evidential interview will be played to the jury tomorrow. 'My partner just got shot' Earlier today, an interview with Gage's partner, Amethyst Tukaki, was played to the court. It was filmed just hours after Gage had been killed. Tukaki told police their car battery had gone flat and they were waiting for a jump start from her mother at their home on Croyden Ave, with three of their children in the back seat. As she and Gage climbed back into the car she told police she heard a 'tick, tick, tick' sound. Hori Gage was killed in a shooting on August 6, 2023, in Palmerston North. Photo / Facebook 'I thought someone was throwing stones, then I seen someone by my partner, by the door,' she said. Tukaki told police that she got out of the car and saw a man holding a gun. She later described him as wearing a balaclava and being tall and skinny. The man then got back into a waiting car, which drove off, she said. 'The street was so quiet,' Tukaki said, before approaching a neighbour, telling him 'my partner just got shot', while also on the phone to police. Operation London It would be six months before police arrested anyone in relation to Gage's murder and the officer who was second in charge of what was labelled Operation London, Detective Sergeant Dave Wilson, told the court police were concerned about escalating gang tensions after the assault of a local Black Power president at a bar on Castle St on August 4. That president suffered serious injuries, including a partially severed finger, multiple cuts to his scalp and two collapsed lungs. The court was shown CCTV footage of him arriving at Palmerston North Hospital after the incident, where he can be seen hunched over with his hands on his knees before falling on all fours in the hospital entryway. The senior Black Power member was assaulted by two Mongrel Mob associates, who also took his gang patch off him in what's known as a 'depatching'. After this, Wilson said multiple Black Power gang members travelled from Hawke's Bay to Palmerston North and were observed congregating at several addresses in the city. A white Nissan allegedly belonging to Haenga was seen on CCTV around the city, including turning up at a motel where members of the Mongrel Mob were staying. The same car was also photographed at The Farm and in a harrowing video played to the court, it can be seen leaving the scene where Gage was shot. The same car then turns back up at The Farm. Wilson told the court the same car was set on fire and dumped near The Farm and three Black Power members were charged and pleaded guilty to arson. The jury was shown images of the scene where Gage died, and Wilson described how bullet casings were found on the street and bullet fragments inside Gage's car. Jeremy Wilkinson is an Open Justice reporter based in Manawatū, covering courts and justice issues with an interest in tribunals. He has been a journalist for nearly a decade and has worked for NZME since 2022.

Crown says Black Power members killed Mongrel Mob member Hori Gage as revenge for earlier attack
Crown says Black Power members killed Mongrel Mob member Hori Gage as revenge for earlier attack

RNZ News

time14-07-2025

  • RNZ News

Crown says Black Power members killed Mongrel Mob member Hori Gage as revenge for earlier attack

By Jeremy Wilkinson, Open Justice reporter of Photo: Supplied Hori Gage was waiting for his mum to come and jump-start his car when he was gunned down in front of his partner and children who were also in the vehicle. The Mongrel Mob member at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds in what the Crown has described as "an execution" after an earlier attack on a rival gang. Now, Black Power members Robert Richards and Royden Haenga are on trial in the High Court at Palmerston North accused of Gage's murder . It's alleged the men were hunting around Palmerston North, hoping to get retribution for the violent assault on a local president. During that assault several days earlier, the local president received multiple stab wounds, a partially severed finger and had his gang patch taken from him by several Mongrel Mob members in what's known as a "depatching". The Crown says Richards and Haenga responded to a "call to arms" to Black Power chapters around the country to retaliate against the assault. The Crown say the two men, and another gang member Neihana Cunningham, drove around looking for Mongrel Mob associates and found Gage sitting in his car with his family on Sunday, August 6, 2023. It's the Crown's case that Richards and Haenga got out of their own car, armed with .22 calibre firearms. It's alleged that Haenga stood beside his passenger door and fired multiple shots at Gage, while Richards advanced and fired five shots into Gage's body. Gage died at the scene. His partner was sitting in the passenger seat next to him while his children were in the backseat. Cunningham has since pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Crown prosecutor Guy Carter opened what is expected to be a four-week-long trial this afternoon with a claim that Richards and Haenga were out looking for revenge. Palmerston North police station. Photo: CC BY-SA / Michal Klajban Carter said it didn't matter that Gage belonged to a different chapter of the Mongrel Mob to the gang members who had assaulted the Black Power president. "The Crown says that the murder of Hori Gage was a direct response by Black Power to the depatching of one of their presidents. "This was a humiliation for Black Power, and a significant response was required." Carter said a gang member having their patch taken was one of the biggest insults they could suffer. A "call to arms" went out after the incident, where Black Power associates travelled from other towns to Palmerston North to help exact that revenge. It is the Crown's case that Richards and Haenga drove around Palmerston North, looking for any Mongrel Mob member to kill as a retribution. "It might be described as an execution," Carter said. Both defendants pleaded not guilty today. Haenga admits to being in the car but Richards denies being there at all. Their lawyers kept their opening submissions short, both urging the jury to keep an open mind over the next few weeks and to not judge the pair simply for being gang members. Haenga's lawyer, Scott Jefferson, said his client never intended to kill Gage. - This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald

Queensland police arrest two alleged Mongrel Mob members on gang charges
Queensland police arrest two alleged Mongrel Mob members on gang charges

News.com.au

time09-07-2025

  • News.com.au

Queensland police arrest two alleged Mongrel Mob members on gang charges

A pair of alleged Mongrel Mob members have been arrested by Queensland Police after a search warrant was executed on a Loganlea home. Police found firearms, gang clothing and paraphernalia at a raid of the property on Tuesday. The men are, aged 27 and 44, and were each charged with 'recruiting persons to become participant in criminal organisation' and 'unlawful possession of a firearm'. Both members men were due to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Video from the arrest show officers breaking down the door before searching through the home. In a wardrobe officers pulled out multiple hoodies with Mongrel Mob logos. The Mongrel Mob is an organised crime group based in New Zealand with operations in Australia and Canada. One of the officers found what appears to be a makeshift firearm and remarked 'we've got a slam gun' as they pulled a shotgun shell from the device. Organised Crime Gangs Group Detective Inspector Craig Bowman said police were proactively targeting members of organised crime gangs. 'We are aware of the attempts by some groups to recruit and expand, and we are actively targeting these groups to prevent their actions impacting the safety of the community,' Detective Bowman said.

Government announces first recipients of proceeds of crime fund
Government announces first recipients of proceeds of crime fund

RNZ News

time02-07-2025

  • Politics
  • RNZ News

Government announces first recipients of proceeds of crime fund

The funds come from assets seized by the police. (File photo) Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver The government has announced the first three recipients of funding from the proceeds of crime fund since it changed the criteria to focus on outcomes. The contestable fund was administered by the Ministry of Justice, and came from cash and assets gained through crime, and seized by police. Established in 2009, the fund has been used to support a range of community and government programmes. In opposition, National and ACT [. heavily criticised funding for a Mongrel Mob-led methamphetamine] rehabilitation programme. Earlier this year, the government re-jigged the criteria so initiatives had to clearly demonstrate how they would contribute to the government's target of 20,000 fewer victims by December 2029. Government agencies were encouraged to work with community groups when submitting proposals. Associate justice minister Nicole McKee said her expectation for recipients was their proposals could demonstrate clear outcomes, so the government could "invest in programmes that break the cycle of violence and drug-related harm, making our communities safer and giving people the support they need to lead better lives". Associate justice minister Nicole McKee. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone "It's about ensuring that money taken from criminals is put to work for everyday New Zealanders." The Meke Academy in Hawke's Bay would receive $1.506m over three years. The academy worked with young people at a serious risk of re-offending, helping them to reduce drug use, and get qualifications along with literacy and numeracy skills. The Kauhanga programme would receive $1.953 over three years, to help it expand. The programme was run by the Billy Graham Youth Foundation. McKee said the programme "helps develop resilience and pathways" for long-term education, training, health, and whānau outcomes, for high-risk young people. The Motueka Meth Harm Reduction programme would receive $1.503m over three years. The programme included a mixture of rehabilitation support and prevention campaigning. The next funding round was expected to open in October. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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