Remand in hostage case

Hewe Taupo is accused of kidnapping a shop assistant at the Paihia Four Square.

A man who allegedly held a Paihia shop assistant hostage with a knife to her throat has been further remanded in custody to await the outcome of a psychiatric assessment.

Hewe Taupo, 40, also known as Manny Taka and by various other aliases, entered the Four Square store on Williams Rd on December and, according to police, held a knife to a shop worker's throat, sparking a 45-minute standoff with police. Officers eventually persuaded him to let her go.

The woman received cuts to her neck and was badly shaken by the ordeal.

Taupo, who had only recently moved to Paihia, was back in Kaikohe District Court on Tuesday charged with kidnapping, injuring with intent to injure, and assault by stabbing/cutting.

He was remanded in custody until January 27 for a report into his mental health.

Taupo also appeared in court on Tuesday on four new charges of burglary and one of theft.

The charges arose when police allegedly found stolen property at his home after the hostage incident.

The four burglary charges were laid jointly against Taupo and Rosemary Rahipere Cotton, 40, of Moerewa.

Police say they broke into four homes at Opua, Oromahoe, Kerikeri and Waipapa between December 9 and 27. Cotton is due back in court on January 29.