Charles Rameka at an earlier appearance in Rotorua District Court. Photo / Andrew Warner
Charles Rameka at an earlier appearance in Rotorua District Court. Photo / Andrew Warner
An enraged man told police he planted a bomb in a car while brandishing what appeared to be a detonator - putting a Rotorua suburb into lockdown.
Police then discovered what appeared to be a grenade in a baby formula tin wedged between the steering wheel and dashboard.
Charles Warren Wahanui Rameka, 48, from Rotorua has now admitted his offending on the night of February 25 this year in the Fordlands suburb that left residents stuck in their homes.
Ramkea has been convicted on four charges. They are: unlawfully carrying an explosive, threatening harm to people and property, failing to stop for police and possession of an offensive weapon.
Court documents detailing what happened have been released to the Rotorua Daily Post.
Rameka drove a Honda car to the area just before 10pm and left it in the middle of the Ford Rd and Sunset Rd intersection.
The car had the words “bring that kid f**k yo” spray-painted on the back window. As he left the car, he hung a school backpack from the rear window wiper and activated a flashing red light on the roof, before running off towards Meadowbank Cres.
The vehicle left had a backpack strapped to the back but the explosive device was inside the car. Photo / Andrew Warner
The summary said police inspected the car, finding what appeared to be a grenade in a baby formula tin wedged between the steering wheel and dashboard.
Cordons were set up and people living near the intersection were told to stay inside and retreat to the rear rooms of their properties. Some nearby residents were evacuated, the summary said.
At 11.15pm, Rameka approached the cordon on Sunset Rd driving a Suzuki car and failed to stop for police at the cordon. He drove around the cordon and was stopped by police near the suspicious Honda car parked in the middle of the intersection.
The summary said police ordered him to get out of his car and turn it off with his hands visible.
The summary said he was “enraged” and yelled back: “I’m the one who planted the bomb.” He said: “Do you know what this is?” while brandishing what appeared to be a detonator.
Fordlands in Rotorua. Photo / Andrew Warner
Police pulled away from Rameka’s vehicle and Rameka drove off, stopping on Ford Rd, near another cordon.
He was told he was under arrest but he failed to comply with police, who then sprayed him with OC spray during his arrest.
Knuckle dusters were found in a bag containing a wallet with cards and Rameka’s details during a search of the suspicious car.
The summary said the bomb squad found a smoke grenade in the formula tin. It said a smoke grenade was a restricted weapon and was only legal to possess for specialist work groups.
Bomb squad action
Police said in February this year the New Zealand Defence Force’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called to remove an item from the vehicle.
The New Zealand Defence Force said in a statement in response to Rotorua Daily Post questions in February that the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team responded to a request for help from police.
An item was investigated and identified as a smoke grenade, which was removed and disposed of safely. No bomb was identified.
They said at the time anyone who discovered a potentially dangerous item should always exercise caution until an expert declared the item was safe.
“If you do discover something that might be dangerous, remain clear of the item and contact New Zealand Police as soon as possible,” the statement said.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
