'Feed them to the pigs': Te Teko man admits sending Simon Bridges death threat

Hohepa Waenga pleaded guilty in the Whakatāne District Court. Photo / File

The identity of a man who threatened to kill former National Party leader Simon Bridges and his children and "feed them to the pigs" can now be revealed.

Hohepa Waenga, 20, from Te Teko, pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening to kill in the Whakatāne District Court today through his lawyer.

Waenga sent a private Facebook message to Bridges, the MP for Tauranga, on April 22, according to court documents.

About 3pm that day, Waenga was drinking with an associate at a Kowhai St address in Whakatāne.

The pair were watching a debate between Bridges, who at the time was the National Party leader, and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the debate angered Waenga.

Waenga sent Bridges the message: "F*** you you ball head I'm going to kill your kids and you and feed them to the pigs you little b****".

Tauranga MP and former National Party leader Simon Bridges. Photo / File

When spoken to by the police, Waenga admitted the events and in explanation stated he was angry at Bridges because he liked Jacinda.

Waenga's lawyer Lisa Ebbers told Judge Thomas Ingram her client was remorseful for his actions and never intended to act on the threat.

Ebbers said she intended to apply for a discharge without conviction, particularly given Waenga had no prior convictions and had never been trouble with the police before.

Waenga was keen to participate in a restorative justice meeting with Bridges so he could apologise in person, she said.

Ebbers also handed up a letter of apology which she said Waenga had written himself.

She urged Judge Ingram to continue name suppression, arguing publication of his name prior to sentencing could interfere with the restorative justice process.

Both police prosecutor Grace Collett and the 'Bay of Plenty Times' opposed name suppression, and Judge Ingram agreed to lift the order.

The judge told Waenga that it was in the "interest of everybody" to do so now.

He said Waenga having fronted up with a letter of apology in which he expressed remorse for his "dumb decision" was an important part of a restorative justice process.

Judge Ingram convicted Waenga on the charge and remanded him on bail for a restorative justice meeting and sentencing on August 5.

Bridges, who has three young children, was ousted as leader of the National Party by Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller last month.