Couple returning home shot at by intruders

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An elderly woman sought cover as she was shot at by burglars shortly after arriving home from holiday.

Lorena Oldham and her husband John arrived home to find a car parked in their driveway at their Glen Massey home, about 27km northwest of Hamilton.

The couple initially thought the car belonged to their house-sitter and thought little of it.

But Huntly police said they did not know they had disturbed three men who had been loading up the car with their belongings.

Police say a firearm from the house was used to shoot at the couple. The burglars then left the scene and raced towards Huntly.

The trio were eventually arrested after throwing stolen property out the window as police chased them.

Police used road spikes to end the pursuit outside Ngaruawahia police station.

Stanton Hapeta Edmonds, 26, Joseph Tamati Turner, 33 and Mace Topia Whalley, 25, appeared in the Hamilton District Court yesterday where they jointly faced one charge each of attempting to murder Mrs Oldham.

They are also facing two counts each of unlawful entry of a building.

The trio showed little emotion in the dock although some people in the public gallery, understood to be family members, began crying as they tried to get their attention.

Magistrate Kathryn Wilson remanded the three in custody.

Mr Oldham said he and his wife were both fine and recovering from their ordeal.

Neighbours to the Glen Massey couple were upset the couple, described as quiet and hardworking "greenies", had been targeted by "a bunch of scumbags".

A local gardener, Julie Pentecost, said it was not unusual for out-of-towners to scope rural homes but she said the neighbourhood was wary and "nosey" about each other's business.

"We are all quite nosy here but I will definitely be taking a closer look from now on at anything unusual," she said.

Another Glen Massey resident said burglaries in the area happened during the day and neighbours called each other to warn what was going on.

He said houses in the area were fairly obscured so burglars were sending children in to check whether anyone was home.

"One of my neighbours had their gate locked with a chain, and had gone to a sports event for about 40 minutes. They came home and found the chain had been cut and their house was cleaned out," he said.

Detective Sergeant Mata John of the Ngaruawahia CIB was keen to hear from anyone who had been the victim of crime or who had seen anything untoward.

"We don't believe these men would have just driven up to properties on the off chance no one was home."

The trio will reappear in the Hamilton District Court on April 12.