Pair now 'criminals' for aiding hurt man

Munro Waerea

A Whakatane couple who were pepper-sprayed, arrested and charged in Queensland after they helped a seriously injured man now have criminal convictions.

Munro Waerea and Kararaina Ngoungou, both 24, were on the last day of a holiday in Surfers Paradise on July 18 when they decided to go out for the night. They saw Kadar Blake lying unconscious in a pool of blood not far from their motel.

They stopped to find a pulse and staunch his bleeding. Soon after, police arrived. Mr Waerea has said they were reaching for their pepper-spray as soon as they saw his group of friends - five in all, who are all Maori.

While they argued with police that they were only trying to assist the man, the couple and one other in their group were arrested.

Auckland lawyer Aroha Pohatu was with them that night. She was pepper-sprayed, but not arrested.

While Queensland police maintained yesterday that the couple had to appear at Southport Magistrates Court today charged with obstruction, Ms Pohatu said they were advised by the court that they were not expected as they should have appeared on Monday, July 20, the day after they flew back to New Zealand.

In failing to do so they forfeited their bond and now have convictions.

Her friends are distraught at the outcome, she says. "They've just finished university, gearing up for the rest of their lives, but now when they apply for any jobs they have to tick the [convictions] box even though it's so minor."

Ms Pohatu has filed complaints with both the Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission and the state government. "It was police brutality - they reacted before they thought."

Yesterday, Mr Blake's partner, Zowi Shaw, said she backed the Whakatane couple's version of events.

The 22-year-old said Mr Blake had been knocked unconscious in a "vicious" attack by a group of men who had been hassling female relations.

"I saw her [Ms Ngoungou] take off her jumper, she was fully with Kadar. Then the cops came and they were just worried with them, not catching the guys that had bashed Kadar. I saw them capsicum-spray them and kick them to the ground. They were the ones trying to help us.

"We were telling the cops the real people had gone off, but they'd been followed [by other witnesses] who knew where they were. There were eight of us screaming at the police but they wouldn't even listen to us."

Mr Blake, a 23-year-old labourer, was rushed to hospital with head injuries and a suspected broken jaw. He also lost eight teeth.

Ms Shaw says she does not know where that investigation is going. She' has asked the police to check CCTV footage but says she has been told none exists. "I've been told they've been wiped. I reckon that's a lot of bullshit because they know they were in the wrong."

Ms Shaw said Mr Blake had a message for the Whakatane couple. "Just thanks very much. It's really disgusting what's happened to them."