A patched Head Hunters gang member who once considered himself “the most wanted man in New Zealand” after opening fire in the lobby of a five-star Auckland hotel around checkout time has admitted the offence.
Hone Hekenui Hawira, also known as Hone Reihana, blew kisses at children in the gallery of the High Court at Auckland today as he appeared for arraignment via an audio-video feed from a prison holding cell.
He pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm at the Sofitel Hotel in Auckland’s waterfront Viaduct area in April last year.
The high-profile shooting came after weeks of tit-for-tat exchanges between Hawira’s Head Hunters motorcycle gang and the rival Mongols gang, according to court documents. They included a car that was set on fire and other shootings, police alleged.
No one was injured in the 9am Sofitel shooting, but it sparked a citywide police response with armed officers and the Eagle helicopter.