Man remains in custody despite murder acquittal

The scene of the shooting in August last year in the rural settlement of Waikoau, north of Napier. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

The family of a man acquitted yesterday of murdering a neighbour with a semi-automatic rifle say they are saddened by the impact the killing has had on the victim's family as well as their own.

Wilson Neil Apatu, 44, remained in custody after appearing again today in the High Court at Napier.

He was tentatively remanded until October 11 for a pre-sentence report after pleading guilty two weeks ago to a charge of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle on August 30 last year.

Apatu admitted taking a utility at knifepoint when a couple stopped to offer assistance after his car overturned near the rural settlement of Waikoau, north of Napier.

The crash came as Apatu was fleeing the scene of the shooting in the settlement, which left 35-year-old Layden Rameka dead from multiple bullet wounds and his son Zepplen, 8, with an injury to his elbow.

Although a jury yesterday found him not guilty of murder, attempted murder, and breaking and entering with intent to commit murder, Apatu remained in custody overnight.

Today retired farmer Ashley Apatu released a statement saying his family were "saddened for the Rameka whanau, as we are for all others affected, including our own whanau, by this unfortunate incident".

In court, defence counsel Russell Fairbrother said he would not seek bail for Apatu but was proposing that a sentence of 12 months or longer of intensive supervision would be a step toward resolving the mental health issues that his client was under medication for at the time of the shootings.

Crown prosecutor Russell Collins said Apatu had spent 12 months in prison and the Crown accepted the general approach suggested by the defence. He said a rehabilitative sentence would serve everyone's interests.

Because the offence was close to aggravated robbery, it warranted a serious sentence but the Crown would not be seeking another term of imprisonment for Apatu, he said.

- NZPA