Man found guilty of cupboard kidnap

File photo / NZ Herald

A jury in a Rotorua kidnapping trial has found one man guilty of all the charges he faced and acquitted another.

After deliberating for more than six hours the Rotorua District Court jury brought in guilty verdicts against Michael John Barker, 29, on one charge each of kidnapping, aggravated robbery and injuring with intent.

It found Thomas Hunuhunu, 39, not guilty of two charges of kidnapping and two of injuring with intent.

Judge David McKegg discharged Hunuhunu and remanded Barker in custody until August 10 when a sentencing date will be set.

The jury members were unable to reach unanimous verdicts on the injuring with intent charge against Barker or on one of the kidnapping charges Hunuhunu faced. In relation to these Judge McKegg accepted the majority verdicts of 11 jurors.

When the trail started on Monday Barker pleaded guilty to one kidnapping charge and another of injuring with intent.

The Crown claimed both the accused had been involved in the kidnapping of Benjamin Sweeney between May 27 and 28 last year.

It was alleged Sweeney was put in a sink cupboard, forced into a freezer, bundled into a car boot and later shut in a wardrobe during an ordeal that lasted at least 17 hours.

It was also alleged he was cut when knives were held at him and threats made to cut off his ears and nose and that he would be buried in the bush.

Crown prosecutor Amanda Gordon and Barker's counsel, Jonathan Temm, both told the jury no one knew exactly what led to the ordeal Sweeney went through.

At the start of the trial two other men pleaded guilty to charges relating to the events involving Sweeney and a third has already been dealt with by the courts.

- NZPA