A 27-year-old man has appeared in court following Friday evening's shooting in Glendene, West Auckland.
Video / Supplied / NZ Herald
WARNING: The following contains graphic content.
“I’m f***ed, I’ve done something. Send the police.”
That is what patched Head Hunters gang member Mikaere Puata-Chaney told a 111 operator last year after returning home from the horrific West Auckland crime scene he had just created - having repeatedly shot his ex-partner, the dog they shared custody of and his partner’s father at close range with a high-powered semi-automatic rifle that he had hidden in a guitar case.
Puata-Chaney, 27, pleaded guilty last month to the murders of Eliza Trubuhovich and her father, Geoffrey Trubuhovich. But it wasn’t until this week that the defendant’s lawyer and Crown prosecutors settled on the agreed summary of facts, a court document making details of the three-minute reign of senseless violence and terror public for the first time.
That day, Puata-Chaney appeared to have been consumed with jealousy. It hadn’t been the first time.
He and Eliza Trubuhovich had previously been in a relationship for about a year but had been broken up for months, although they kept in contact as they shared custody of their dog Rocka, according to court documents.
“In the months leading up to [the shooting on] 15 July 2022, Ms Trubuhovich had reported to two of her friends that Mr Puata-Chaney had been threatening toward her, particularly over his concern that she may be seeing another man,” the agreed facts state.
The former couple had argued on the phone for an extended period that day.
Eliza Trubuhovich was shot and killed by her former partner Mikaere Puata-Chaney at her Glendene home in July 2022.
What happened immediately after the call ended - Puata-Chaney driving 7.5km from his Te Atatu Peninsula home to the Glendene property where his ex lived with her family - was in itself illegal. He was already on electronically monitored bail, restricted from leaving his home without permission as he awaited trial for his part in a high-profile gang warfare shooting inside the lobby of Sofitel, which left staff of the five-star Auckland waterfront hotel running for cover.
But the blur of violence that followed happened quickly, with Puata-Chaney arriving at the house, opening fire and leaving within a matter of minutes.
He arrived at the Trubuhovich home at 2.59pm and immediately attracted attention of other residents in the neighbourhood as he knocked on the front door then forced it open with a loud bang. With the door only partially open at first, Eliza Trubuhovich had asked her ex what he was carrying. It was the soft guitar case, which contained the gun and a box of ammunition, authorities said.
“Mr Puata-Chaney grabbed Ms Trubuhovich with one hand, and forcefully dragged her from the address,” according to the summary of facts. “The force used by Mr Puata-Chaney to get through the door and get Ms Trubuhovich out of her home was such that the timber door frame was damaged, along with the door’s lock mechanism.”
“No, no, no!” Eliza Trubuhovich could be heard screaming as she was dragged to the front lawn.
Moments later, her father and her dog both came outside to investigate.
Puata-Chaney immediately opened fire on Geoffrey Trubuhovich at close range. Although he was shot multiple times, authorities determined that he died as a result of a bullet that passed through his heart.
Geoffrey Trubuhovich and his daughter were murdered by Head Hunters member Mikaere Puata-Chaney at their Glendene home in July 2022.
Puata-Chaney then turned to Eliza Trubuhovich.
“Don’t do it,” she screamed. “Please don’t do it.”
But he ignored the pleas, immediately opening fire on her at close range and continuing to pull the trigger as she fell to the ground.
One of the shots was to the back of her head, and another shot was to her back. A third shot was fired at such close range that authorities would later find gunpowder stippling near the entry wound.
At some point during the three-minute melee, Rocka the dog was also shot three times and killed.
Mikaere Puata-Chaney (standing) appears in the High Court at Auckland ahead of the Sofitel shooting trial. Photo / Michael Craig
Police would later find eight spent bullet casings and 10 live rounds - suggesting the gun had malfunctioned at some point - on the family home lawn.
Although the murder weapon was never recovered, police noted that it was powerful enough for bullets to penetrate walls and multiple fences.
Puata-Chaney returned home at 3.39pm, 40 minutes after the shooting, and identified himself to the 111 operator. He was arrested without incident as armed officers arrived a short time later. He declined to speak to police about what had just occurred.
His guilty plea on March 31 came just 10 days after he had been sentenced to three years and five months’ imprisonment for his part in the April 2021 Sofitel shooting. While he wasn’t the person who pulled the trigger during that event - it was fellow Head Hunters gang member Hone Reihana - he was found guilty by a jury of discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm because he aided the shooter.
During that sentencing, a High Court judge noted his lesser role in the shooting and his difficult upbringing.
His mother was closely linked to Black Power and his father was a member of the Head Hunters, the judge noted, adding that the defendant left school at age 13 “and instead received an education in violence”.
Eliza Trubuhovich, 34, worked as a freelance photographer, was formerly an international flight attendant and owned a streetwear store in Auckland.
During a joint funeral days after the shooting, her mother described her as “talented beyond belief”, with a sweet nature and an ability to make friends with ease. She often went out of her way to help others without expecting anything in return, the grieving mother said.
“You’re my baby and always will be,” the woman said in a written eulogy, which was read aloud by another family member.
At the same funeral, mourners described Geoffrey Trubuhovich, 75, as having died trying to protect his daughter - a final act of devotion to her.
