Fenton to appear in court

Nathan Fenton

A large contingent of a murdered teenager's family have turned up at court to witness the appearance of fugitive gang member Nathan Fenton.

More than 50 members of Mairina Dunn's family and friends, as well as a contingent of police, have gathered outside Whangarei District Court, although Mr Fenton is yet to appear.

Fenton, 31, a Black Power gang member, had been wanted by police after 17-year-old Northland woman Mairina Dunn's battered body was found in a house in Whangarei.

While police have not formally said they have charged Fenton with her death, court documents reveal that he has been charged with her murder.

According to court documents, Fenton has been charged with the murder of Ms Dunn, two counts of unlawfully taking a boat, one of unlawfully taking a car, two burglaries and theft of camping gear.

His co-fugitive, Eileen Everitt, 28, has been charged with being an accessory after the fact of murder, two counts of burglary and two charges of unlawfully taking a boat.

Fenton and Everitt were caught at 2am today in Northland after 11 days on the run after a huge dragnet.

Police yesterday found the stolen blue BMW coupe he had been driving down a bank and believe he then made his way through seven kilometres of thick native bush east of Russell.

Detective Senior Sergeant Marty Ruth told the NZ Herald that Fenton appears to have emerged at Taupiri Bay where he stole a 4 metre "tinny" runabout from a boatshed and made his way 25km down the coast to Whananaki.

"In Whananaki he pulled into one of the bays and has taken a small inflatable," said Mr Ruth.

Police believe he then stole an inflatable and transferred the motor from the stolen tinny to it, before he heading for another bay around Whananaki.

After police were alerted to the missing boat they converged in force on the Whananaki area.

He was captured in a caravan beside a small batch in the area at 2am.

Police will not say how they captured Fenton, except that they had to use police dogs in the operation and he did not come willingly.

No guns were found with Fenton.

Mr Ruth said the public response from the east coast communities was superb.

"It is as a result of people reporting the right things at the right time that we have been able to nail him."