Police capture gang fugitive Fenton

Police search a ute at a check-point on the Russell-Whakapara road near Russell. Picture / Dean Purcell

Gang fugitive Nathan Fenton has been caught in Northland after 11 days on the run in which he stole cars and runabout boats to elude a huge dragnet.

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.

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.

Mr Ruth said no guns were found with Fenton.

"We have got nothing. There is some progress in relation to the recovery of a weapon."

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."

His co-fugitive Eileen Everitt, 28, has also been arrested.

Because of court reporting restrictions, police will not say what Mr Fenton has been charged with.

However, they have confirmed that a middle aged man will appear in Whangarei District Court today charged with the murder of Mairina Dunn.

A strong police presence is expected at the court today for the hearing.

Mr Ruth said he was hoping to be able to tell Mairiana's family that a man had been charged later this morning.