Suspected Riverdale home invaders back in court

Four men accused of attacking a 61 year-old Riverdale man in his home last year have been back in court for a trial date to be set. 

Mana Wimutu, 27, Iras Tipene-Brown, 22, Mohi Apanui, 23, and Israel Benjamin Peri, 28 , had allegedly been stealing alcohol from shops on Saturday, November 19, last year, before targeting the complainant’s Parkview Place house at about 9.30pm.

They  are accused of hitting the man over the head with a bottle and punching and kicking him several times.

He reportedly spent the rest of the weekend in Gisborne Hospital.

When the case was called in Gisborne District Court yesterday,  Judge Warren Cathcart scheduled the group’s jury trial for April 15, next year.

For their alleged activities the night of the home invasion, the men are jointly charged with intentionally causing grievous bodily harm to the homeowner and burglary.

They are variously charged with one another for the shop thefts.

Tipene-Brown is additionally charged with stealing some of the complainant’s home brew (valued at about $10).

Peri is additionally charged with two counts of receiving about $60 worth of beer from the others that night,

Apanui and Wimutu were further remanded in custody. Peri and Tipene-Brown are each on electronically-monitored bail.